Best Vietnamese Caramelized Pork with Fermented Shrimp Paste (Thịt Kho Mắm Ruốc)

Thịt Kho Mắm Ruốc is a simple dish that has a pungent smell when cooking, but it’s absolutely delicious!

Let’s breakdown what Thịt Kho Mắm Ruốc is and tips and tricks on each ingredient.

What is Thịt Kho Mắm Ruốc?

Thịt = Meat
Kho = Caramelize
Mắm Ruốc = Fermented Shrimp Paste
This translate to Caramelized Pork with Fermented Shrimp Paste

What type of pork cuts can I use?

The recommended pork cuts are pork belly or pork butt. They both have a good meat to fat ratio that makes it perfect for this dish.

Tip: Using pork butt makes the dish cheaper – pork belly is more expensive than pork butt.

Fun fact: Pork butt is actually from the shoulder of the pig. The usage of the word “butt” comes from the barrels they were stored during the American Revolutionary war, known as “butts”.

What is fermented shrimp paste (Mắm Ruốc)?

Fermented shrimp paste is crushed shrimp that is fermented to bring out a salty unami flavor. It has a very pungent scent and looks like a purple paste.

The smell can be off-putting, but it brings out a great flavor in this dish. Think of it as the cousin to fish sauce.

Tip: Use this ingredient with a very light hand, a little goes a very long way.

Which fermented shrimp paste do I use?

When you head to the Asian grocery store, you will be presented with a variety of shrimp paste to choose from. The one I recommend is the one that is says finely grounded.

Be aware that some brands have a gritty texture, which is off putting when cooked. The important factor are amazing flavor and smooth texture.

Aromatic: Lemongrass, shallots & garlic

Aromatics are ingredients that you add to your dish that create an aroma and flavor to your dish. In this recipe those ingredients include lemongrass, shallots and garlic. These three aromatic ingredients will add flavor, depth and a great scent.

Lemongrass is a popular aromatic used in Southeast Asian cooking due to its aromatic qualities. The outer layer of lemongrass is usually discarded as it is very tough and dry.

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Shallots is from the same family as onions, but the taste is usually sweeter and more subtle than a regular onion. However, any recipe that calls for shallots can easily substitute for any onion.

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Garlic is a widely used ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, as it is believed to have medicinal benefits. In it’s long history, garlic was believed to treat high blood pressure, diabetes and even fevers.

Heat: Thai peppers

Thai Peppers is a pepper that registers 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This makes it pretty spicy since a jalapeno only registers 2,500 to 8,000 SHU.

The Scoville Heat Units is a scale for peppers that measures the level of capsaicin, aka the ingredient that makes peppers hot. The higher the levels, the spicier the pepper.

Tip: Cutting your Thai peppers with a pair of scissors or while wearing gloves will prevent the capsaicin from burning your hands and eyes.

Fun Fact: Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chili peppers that makes it burn and is used in pepper spray.

Served with rice & cucumbers

Jasmine rice is recommended for this dish, as it has a fragrant scent that complements the caramelized pork with fermented shrimp paste. Cucumbers are the traditional vegetable eaten with this dish, my favorite types are Persian, English or mini cucumbers. These types of cucumbers have a sweet, refreshing taste with little to no seeds that you would get from a regular cucumber.

Enough about the ingredients, let’s start cooking.