Thịt Kho Tiêu is a classic dish in Vietnamese family meals, featuring tender caramelized pork infused with the bold flavors of warm and fiery black pepper.
Trust me, you’ll need plenty of steamed rice to go with it! In this post, I’ll guide you through a seamless way to prepare Thịt Kho Tiêu, taking just 30 minutes of your time.
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An Ever-Popular Dish for Vietnamese family meals
A typical Vietnamese meal consists of four key components: steamed jasmine rice, a protein dish, a vegetable dish, and a light soup (canh). Among these, Thịt Kho Tiêu (caramelized pork with pepper) is a favorite for busy Vietnamese moms due to its quick prep time and incredible flavor.
As a child, whenever my mom made Thịt Kho Tiêu, Sườn Nướng (lemongrass pork chops), or Sườn Ram Mặn (caramelized pork ribs), I would easily finish two bowls of rice. These dishes bring such comfort and nostalgic memories.
The “Kho” cooking method in Vietnamese cuisine
In Vietnam, the term “Kho” (庫) refers to a cooking method that involves braising, stewing, or simmering ingredients.
Typically, proteins like fish, chicken, or pork are cooked in a savory caramel sauce, resulting in many dishes like Cá Kho (caramelized fish) or Gà Kho Gừng (ginger caramelized chicken). Sometimes, Kho also refers to heartier stews like Bò Kho (Vietnamese beef stew).
Even within Thịt Kho (caramelized pork), there are many variations. Some versions are more liquid-based, while others are thicker and more concentrated. Cooks may also add vegetables like bamboo shoots or daikon, which soak up all the umami flavors from the sauce.
People may also incorporate aromatic Vietnamese herbs such as lemongrass, ginger, or turmeric. This is a straightforward way to create variations of “Kho dishes”.
Thịt Kho Tiêu, as the name suggests, refers to “black pepper caramelized pork,” while Thịt Kho Tàu refers to “Chinese-style caramelized pork” (which may draw inspiration from the Chinese dish Dong Po Rou, though there are ongoing debates about this in Vietnam).
Here are some key contrasts between the two dishes:
- Sweetness: Thịt kho tiêu tends to be less sweet compared to Thịt kho tàu, which is often braised in coconut water.
- Meat Size: Thịt kho tiêu involves dicing the meat into smaller pieces compared to Thịt kho tàu. This difference in size means that thịt kho tiêu requires less cooking time.
- Meat Cuts: Since Thịt kho tàu requires longer cooking times, it typically uses fattier cuts of meat, such as pork belly. In contrast, thịt kho tiêu allows for the use of both fatty and lean cuts, including pork belly, pork shoulder, pork butt, or even pork loin.
- Additionally, Thịt kho tàu is sometimes referred to as Thịt kho trứng, indicating that eggs are cooked together with the pork in this particular dish.
Ingredients
Thịt Kho Tiêu only calls for a handful of essential ingredients which are staples in Asian, particularly Vietnamese, kitchens:
- Pork: You could choose from pork belly, pork shoulder, pork butt, or even pork loin. Personally, for my Thịt Kho Tiêu recipe I find that pork shoulder, with its balanced fat content, works best.
- Black Peppercorns: This ingredient is an absolute must-have for this recipe. Opt for high-quality black peppercorns. You could use black pepper powder also if you prefer a milder black pepper flavor.
- Fish sauce: no salt, no soy sauce, no chicken powder, fish sauce is the star savory seasoning in this dish.
- Sugar: A touch of sugar is added to achieve a delicate balance of flavors.
- Scallions, Garlic, and Red Chili: These aromatic ingredients help enhance both the flavor and visual appeal of the dish.
- Vietnamese Caramel Sauce (Nước Màu) or Molasses: To achieve the appealing caramelized color of Thịt Kho Tiêu, you can use traditional Vietnamese caramel sauce. However, I recently discovered that molasses makes an excellent substitute.
Instructions
- Separate the white and green parts of the scallions, then chop them.
- Mince the garlic and slice the red chili.
- If using whole black peppercorns, crush them with a mortar and pestle to enhance the flavor (skip this step if using black pepper powder).
- Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces or 3 cm (1.2 in.) wide strips.
- In a pan, sauté the minced garlic and chopped white part of the scallions in cooking oil until fragrant. Add the pork to the pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat until there is no raw meat color left.
- Add sugar, fish sauce, and molasses (or Vietnamese caramel sauce) to the pork. Stir-fry for another minute to incorporate the seasonings.
- Add the crushed black pepper (or black pepper powder) and sliced red chili. Pour enough water into the pan to cover the meat, then close the lid. Allow the pork to simmer on medium heat until the sauce reduces.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the thịt kho tiêu according to your preference.
- Garnish with the chopped green part of the scallions. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- My recipe features a bit of spiciness and heat from the generous amount of pepper used. Feel free to adjust the spice level to your preference, especially if you’re cooking for kids or prefer a milder flavor.
- If you visit Vietnam, don’t forget to bring back Phú Quốc peppercorns, renowned for its exceptional flavor and quality (Phú Quốc island is famous for black peppercorns and fish sauce).
- Thịt Kho Tiêu pairs wonderfully with steamed rice, congee, or sticky rice. Some rice recipes on my blog are pretty quick and easy to make:
Indulge in more authentic Vietnamese recipes
(Vietnamese Sandwich)
(Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls)
(Northern Rice Noodles with Grilled Pork)
Thịt Kho Tiêu (Vietnamese Black Pepper Caramelized Pork)
Ingredients
- 1.2 pound pork (560g) (pork belly, pork shoulder, pork butt, pork loin)
- 4 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to your taste)
- 3 tbsp sugar (adjust to your taste)
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns (or black pepper powder, adjust to your taste)
- 1 red chili (goat horn pepper, jalapenos)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs scallions
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ tsp Vietnamese caramel sauce (nước màu) (or Molasses)
Instructions
- Chop the white and green parts of scallions separately.
- Slice the red chili and mince the garlic.
- If using whole black peppercorns, crush them with a mortar and pestle to intensify the flavor. Skip this step if using black pepper powder.
- Dice the pork into bite-sized pieces or 3 cm (1.2 in.) wide strips.
- In a pan, sauté the minced garlic and chopped white part of the scallions in cooking oil until they become fragrant. Then, add the pork to the pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat until the meat loses its raw color.
- Season the pork with sugar, fish sauce, and molasses (or Vietnamese caramel sauce). Stir-fry for an additional minute.
- Add the crushed black pepper (or black pepper powder) and sliced red chili to the pan. Pour enough water into the pan to cover the meat, then close the lid. Let the pork simmer on medium heat until the sauce reduces to your desired consistency.
- Taste thịt kho tiêu and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
- Finally, garnish the dish with the chopped green part of the scallions. Serve it alongside steamed rice!
