A large white plate on a white marbled background. On the plate is a terracotta clay pot containing a braised dish which consists of pork belly, dried shrimp, garlic, and shallot. It is topped with pieces of green onion, green peppercorns, and red bird's eye chilies. The clay pot is surrounded by a variety of boiled and raw vegetables: bittermelon, green eggplant, carrot sticks, okra, and cauliflower.

Mai

Kho quẹt is a dish originating from the south, particularly miền Tây- the southern-most half of the region, which consists of the Mekong delta. Fun fact, even though the name refers to the entire Southern tip of the country, the name “miền Tây” means “Western region” because the southern tip of Vietnam curves to the left compared to the upper part of the southern region.

This dish is very rustic and traditionally cheap to make. Since it’s concentrated with very strong flavors, a small bowl can be enough for a family dinner- served with boiled vegetables and rice. Its saltiness also means that it could be stored well for several days at room temperature, before the advent of refrigeration. Because of this, kho quẹt was and continues to be a popular dish for low-income households, particularly farmers. That being said, it’s delicious and is also a beloved dish eaten by everyone. It is usually served with boiled vegetables, plain rice, scorched rice, or rice porridge.

As for its name, “kho” is the word for Vietnamese braised dishes and “quẹt” means to “swipe” or “smear”, likely because you would normally eat this dish by picking up a little bit of it with chopsticks and swiping it on a piece of vegetable or your rice.

This dish usually consists of pork fat and/or fatty pork belly, dried shrimp, garlic, shallot, chilies, and pepper. The most important seasoning is fish sauce, accompanied by sugar, and some times chili sauce. It is simmered until the sauce is thick and glossy.

Kho quẹt is super fragrant and has strong flavors. If you’re a lover of fish sauce and pungent things, you will love this dish. If you’re not… this dish might be an acquired taste.

A terracotta clay pot containing a braised dish which consists of pork belly, dried shrimp, garlic, and shallot. It is topped with pieces of green onion, green peppercorns, and red bird's eye chilies.

INGREDIENTS FOR KHO QUẸT

Fatty pork belly or pork fat – Thịt ba chỉ hoặc mỡ heo: Since we’re rendering the pork fat and letting the pieces fry in their own fat, you want fatty pork for this dish. If the pork is too meaty, you will end up with tough/dried up bits.
Dried shrimp – Tôm khô
Garlic – Tỏi
Shallot – Hành khô/hành tím
Green peppercorns – Tiêu xanh
Bird’s eye chilies – Ớt hiểm
Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
Chili sauce – Tương ớt
Coconut water – Nước dừa
MSG – Bột ngọt
Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
Vegetables of your choice – Rau củ tuỳ chọn: Any vegetables will work- my personal favorites to pair with kho quẹt are okra, cauliflower, and green eggplant (which I serve raw).

DIRECTIONS FOR KHO QUẸT

If using pork belly, carefully cut between the skin and fat layer to remove the skin, keeping as much of the fat as possible.
Cut pork belly/fat into 1-1.5cm pieces.
Add dried shrimp to a heat-proof bowl and rehydrate with boiling water. Set aside for about 15 minutes, then strain and rinse.
Peel shallot. Thinly slice half and mince the other half.
Peel garlic. Thinly slice half and mince the other half.
Cut to remove stems of bird’s eye chilies.
Cut green onion into ~3cm lengths.
Place a pan on the stove and add pork belly, along with a splash of water, without turning on the stove.
Heat the pan on medium high, stirring the pork often. The water will evaporate and the pork fat will begin to render.
Fry the pork in its own fat until golden on all sides.
Remove the crispy pork pieces to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Remove excess fat in the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
NOTE: You can keep this excess fat for cooking.
Reduce heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic to the pan. Sweat them until fragrant.
Add in the shrimp and sauté for 1 minute.
Add in fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, coconut water, MSG, and ground black pepper.
Stir to combine, then add in bird’s eye chilies and green peppercorns.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
In the meantime, prepare and boil vegetables for serving.
Add the crispy pork to the sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat, top with green onion, and serve with vegetables and rice!