Pork in Clay Pot with Fresh Coconut Recipe

In Vietnam, this homely, rustic dish is just one of the ways of cooking the meat obtained from the family pig. It is one of those dishes in which very little effort produces a comforting and flavorsome meal. If it were being prepared for the large, hungry family, it would be served with a light soup, stir-fried or steamed rice, and a vegetable dish. If you do not have a clay pot, a heavy pan works just as well.

Ingredients : Serves 4

30 ml

90 ml

350 g

90 g

5 ml

1/4 teaspoon

2 tablespoons

Sugar

Nuoc mam

Liquid from a coconut

Pork shoulder, boned and cut into bite-size strips

Fresh coconut, finely grated

Ground black pepper

Salt

Copped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnishing

Method :

Put the sugar in a pan with 10 ml water. Heat it gently until it dissolves and turns to a golden caramel color. Remove form the heat and leave to cool.
In a bowl, combine the caramel with the nuoc cham and coconut liquid. Toss with pork strips in the mixture, making sure they are thoroughly coated, then cover and leave to marinade for 1-2 hours.
While still in the bowl, add the grated coconut with the pepper, and mix well.
Transfer the pork and the marinating juices to a clay pot or heavy pan, and pout in 100 ml water.
Bring the liquid to the boil, stir the meat gently to combine the flavors, and then reduce the heat.
Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a little.
Season to taste with salt, and garnish with the coriander.

Extracting coconut milk

To extract the liquid from a coconut, pierce the soft spot at the top of the fruit with a skewer and pour out the juice. You can then crack the shell and skin the flesh before grating it.