Pork Hock Braised in Coconut (Giò heo kho nước dừa) Recipe

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Pork Hock Slice

1 Fresh Coconut

2 Tbsp. Sugar + 1 tsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. minced Garlic + 1 tsp. minced Garlic

2 Tbsp. sliced Shallots + 1 tsp. sliced Shallots

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 cup Fish Sauce

1 Chili Pepper

Ground Black Pepper 

1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce

Water

chopped Green Onions

1 Tbsp. Vinegar 

2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt + some extra salt to blanch the pork

To clean the 1 1/2 lbs. Pork Hock, place it into a bowl.  Add 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (any kind of Vinegar will work) and 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt.  Rub it into the Pork Hock.  Then rinse with water a few times. 

Now boil some water and add in some Salt to blanch the Pork. Boil for about 3 minutes. or until it looks semi cooked on the surface. Remove from the boil water and set aside. 

To make the marinating sauce, mix 1/2 cup Fish Sauce with 2 Tbsp. Sugar, 1 sliced Chili Pepper, 2 Tbsp. minced Garlic, 2 Tbsp. sliced Shallots, 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper and mix well. Rub the sauce into the Pork, let it marinate for 1 hour. 

Open 1 Fresh Coconut.  Then after 1 hour, it’s time to braise the pork. Add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil into pot. Add 1 tsp. minced Garlic and 1 tsp. sliced Shallots and saute for a few seconds. Add in the marinated Pork Hock. Add in 1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce, cook on medium-high heat.  Pour in the Fresh Coconut Water.  Once it starts to bubble, add in Water (enough to cover the top of the Pork). Continue to cook on a high simmer, add in 1 tsp. Sugar. Cook for about 1 hour or until it becomes tender.

After about 1 hour, to check if it’s ready poke a chopstick through the skin of the pork.  If it goes in easily then you know it’s ready. 

Add some chopped Green Onions and some Ground Black Pepper.  Serve with meal and enjoy.