Braised Pork Belly (Kaw Sach Chrouk)

An authentic and unforgettable, sweet and savory dish. Pork belly braised in a dark thin flavorful broth intensified with caramelized Thnot sugar, star anise, garlic and Kampot pepper alongside hard boiled eggs, roasted tofu and tender bamboo shoots. This is the dish that Khmer moms reward their children for a job well done.

Kaw Sach Chrouk – Pork belly braised in a dark thin flavorful broth intensified with caramelized sugar, star anise, garlic and Kampot pepper alongside hard boiled eggs, roasted tofu and tender bamboo shoots.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cambodian
Keyword: bamboo shoots, eggs, Kampot Pepper
Servings: 12
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Channy Laux

Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • ½ bulb garlic
  • 3 pods star anise or 2 teaspoon ground star anise
  • ½ cup Angkor Thnot sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • pounds pork belly 1” cubes
  • 1 tbsp Angkor Black Kampot Pepper ground
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 17 ounces bamboo shoot tips ½” slices
  • 4 cups water
  • 28 ounces extra firm tofu 1”x2” lengths
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions

  • Perfect Boiled Eggs for easy to remove shells – In a small pot bring water to rolling boil. Using slotted spoon, gently add one egg at a time. Uncover the pot and let it continue cooking for 13-14 minutes. Turn off heat, discard the hot water, and place the eggs in a cold bath. When the eggs are cool to touch, peel them.
  • Place garlic & star anise in a spice sachet and tie securely.
  • Caramelize sugar over medium-low heat until brown (stir continuously to prevent burning the sugar)
  • Reduce heat to low, add sauces (soy, fish, oyster), stir until caramelized sugar dissolves into the sauce
  • Add eggs, stir about every 5 minutes to ensure the egg are evenly brown. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Remove the eggs and set aside.
  • Add pork to caramelized sauce, increase heat to medium-high and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until meat turns brown (about 5 minutes)
  • Add bamboo shoots, the spice sachet and mix well. Bring to soft boil, stir occasionally and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes until the meat is cooked (at least 165ºF). Add water mix well, bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • While the meat is simmering, heat a baking dish under a 500ºF broiler for 5 minutes. Place pieces of tofu and oil in a ziplock, gently shake to evenly coat the tofu with oil. Empty the tofu onto the hot baking dish. Broil for 20 minutes until slightly brown.
  • Add broiled tofu and eggs into the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 1491mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

Notes

Garnish with ground Kampot Pepper and julienne green onion. Serve with steam rice.
* Substitute Thnot Sugar with regular sugar.  You might enjoy learning more about Thnot sugar, why it is so flavorful and unique to Cambodian culture and cuisine.   
 
Tried this recipe?Mention @AngkorFood or tag #angkorfood, thank you!

Published by Channy Laux

Channy Laux is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. She was thirteen-years-old when the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975. From 1975 to 1979, Channy endured starvation, horrendous working conditions, sickness and repeated separations from her family. In June of 1979, Channy arrived in Lincoln Nebraska as a refugee. After four years of no school and not knowing a word of English, she attended Lincoln High School; earned a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from Santa Clara University and undergraduate degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Channy worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer in the Aerospace and Biotech industries for 30 years. In 2017 Channy decided to focus on completing a promise that she made to herself as she and her family struggled to survive the Cambodian genocide. “If I ever make it out alive, I will make sure the world knows what happened to us.” Channy published her memoir “Short Hair Detention”, which receives multiple awards, including Nebraska’s 2018 Book Award. Channy is also founder of Angkor Cambodian Food. Her goal is to bring Cambodian cuisine into American kitchens, by providing authentic and hard to find ingredients along with easy to follow recipes. One of her creations Kroeurng (Lemongrass cooking paste) receives sofiTM Award from Specialty Foods and Innovation Foodservice Award from IFMA. Channy now balances her time between her business and educating communities on the Cambodian Genocide. She works with schools and other organizations to promote awareness of Cambodian Genocide. She is a member of Speakers Bureau for JFCS Holocaust Center.

4 thoughts on “Braised Pork Belly (Kaw Sach Chrouk)

  1. 5 stars
    Hey thank you so much for posting this. I’ve been having trouble finding a good Kaw recipe. It is an interesting one because there are varying style based on country. I was looking for a Cambodian style one that I could do with my limited experience cooking Cambodian food. It was a bit salty at the end but extremely close to what I wanted personally. With just a small number of changes for personal taste, I am excited to be able to add this to my small but growing repertoire of homey dishes. Cheers to you!

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