This caramel pork is a sticky, sweet and savory Vietnamese-style pork woven with the aromatic flavors of Southeast Asia. Tender chunks of pork shoulder are slowly simmered with fish sauce, soy sauce, lemongrass, garlic, and kaffir lime leaves until the sauce reduces and the pork becomes beautifully glossy and caramelized.
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This is one of those recipes that takes patience and hard work. The pork starts cooking with a simple sugar caramel, then adds the remaining ingredients and simmers slowly until the liquid reduces and begins to caramelize with the pork’s own fat.
This recipe is inspired by caramelized pork, a sumptuous Vietnamese dish, and uses a similar process of simmering pork in sugar caramel until tender and flavorful. I also add lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, which aren’t necessarily traditional here, but I love the fresh, fragrant notes they bring to balance out the rich, savory pork.
I love serving this over simple rice for a comforting dinner.
📋 Caramel pork ingredients
***Full recipe with detailed measurements is provided in the recipe card below***
pork shoulder
Pork shoulder is my favorite cut because it contains enough fat and connective tissue that it becomes beautifully tender when braised for a long time. I buy boneless pork shoulder joint and cut it myself.
✅ You can also use pork belly, which will give you a richer result, but will have more fat (it will take a little longer to soften and some of the fat will melt (about 30-45 minutes)).
❌We do not recommend using pork loin as it tends to get dry.
🧑🍳 Shortened recipe
***Full recipe with detailed instructions is in the recipe card below***
Make a bright golden caramel with sugar, water and pork shoulder and simmer for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer gently until pork is tender and liquid has reduced and pork is caramelized (about 90 minutes).
recipe tips
Use a heavy pot to prevent sugar and sauce from sticking. Near the end of cooking, most of the liquid will evaporate and the pork will begin to caramelize, so stir more often. Want something more saucy? Finally, add a few drops of water and mix to create a glossy sauce to spoon over rice.
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Make-ahead and leftover guide
Leftover caramel pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slowly in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding water to loosen the coating. Stir occasionally until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave for a short time, stirring in between. Add a teaspoon or two of water as needed to keep the pork juicy. This dish can be frozen. Freeze in portions, thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat until piping hot using the steps above.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until bubbly and light golden brown.
100g (1/2 cup) white sugar, 1 tablespoon water
Add pork belly and stir-fry. Cook in sugar mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pork shoulder 1kg (2.2lb)
Add the remaining ingredients, stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently (without a lid), stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender (it should fall apart when you press it with a fork), about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
480ml (2 cups) of water, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 6 kaffir lime leaves
**During this time, the liquid will evaporate and the pork will cook and caramelize with its own fat. If the liquid evaporates too quickly, you can add a little water or oil to prevent it from sticking or burning.
**If you want a little liquid on your rice, add a few splashes of water to the pot right after you finish cooking the pork, stir, and serve.
Serve the pork with rice and your favorite green vegetables. I eat it with grilled green onions.
Nutritional information is approximate per serving (this recipe serves 4).
calorie: 791kcal | carbohydrates: 29g | protein: 59g | fat: 47g | Saturated fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated fats: 4g | Monounsaturated fats: twenty oneg | cholesterol: 215mg | sodium: 1279mg | fiber: 1g | sugar: 27g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
🍽️What to serve it with?
🍲 See more of my favorite pork recipes
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