Ba Chi Kho Tram Xanh (Pork Belly Braised with Canarium), No Added Refined Sugar
Vietnamese dishesBraised DishesNorthern Vietnamabout 1 hour 30 minutes, braised in two rounds
When canarium comes into season in the north, this pot comes back to the table. The pleasure is in the nutty olive flesh, pork that falls apart, and a thick, glossy braising sauce. Two things can go wrong: canarium that is still astringent because it was underboiled, and pork that is still firm because the braise was rushed.
This pot is braised in two rounds. The first runs about 60 minutes, then the heat goes off and the meat rests and reabsorbs the sauce as it cools. The second round happens just before serving. The pork marinates at least 30 minutes with sliced shallot.
This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 314 calories per 100g.
Method
Boil 300g canarium with a little coarse salt for 8 to 10 minutes, rinse, then score along the grain to lift out the flesh.
Scrape 600g pork belly clean, rub it with lime and coarse salt to clear any smell, rinse, drain and cut into bite sized pieces. For a cleaner result, blanch briefly and rinse again.
Peel and slice the 2 shallots.
Marinate the pork with 2 tablespoons traditional fish sauce, 2 tablespoons caramel sauce, 1/2 tablespoon tuong ban, 2 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the sliced shallot, for at least 30 minutes.
For the first round, put the pork in a pot and stir until it firms up, add hot water to just cover, bring to a boil and skim. After 20 minutes add the canarium, adjust the seasoning, then braise gently for another 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool so the meat can rest.
Before serving, braise a second time until the pork is tender, the canarium has taken up the flavor and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Tips
Look for canarium with a yellowish tinge, a slim oval shape and taut, glossy skin, which means thick flesh.
Two rounds of braising, with a rest in between, deepen both the color and the flavor.
Boiling the canarium with a little coarse salt for 8 to 10 minutes makes the flesh easy to score out and clears the astringency.
Top up with hot water rather than cold, since cold water tightens the pork belly and makes it firm.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.