Method
- Blanch the pork belly cubes in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Heat oil and palm sugar in a heavy pot over medium-low. Stir until the sugar melts and caramelises to deep amber — about 4 minutes.
- Carefully add fish sauce, soy sauce and the blanched pork. Stir; the cubes should be coated in dark amber.
- Add ginger, spring onion, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and dried chilies. Pour in water; the meat should be just submerged.
- Bring to a low simmer; cover and cook over the lowest heat for 60 minutes. Add the hard-boiled eggs. Cook another 20 minutes; the eggs will absorb the colour and turn dark mahogany.
- Uncover; reduce another 10 minutes if too wet — the gravy should be syrupy and the pork tender. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with sticky rice.
Common questions
Can Tom Khem be made ahead?
Tom Khem is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 90 minutes.
Is Tom Khem spicy?
Tom Khem as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Tom Khem vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Tom Khem to make at home?
Tom Khem is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 105 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Tom Khem be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Tom khem is the Lao caramel pork-belly stew — the closest Vietnamese cousin is thit kho (which uses coconut water) and the Chinese cousin is hong shao rou. The Lao version uses water rather than coconut, and includes the universal Lao spice trinity (cinnamon, star anise, cloves) that came down from China via trade. The dish is associated with weekend family eating and Boun festivals. Each Lao region has slight variations: Luang Prabang adds more sugar, Vientiane uses more soy, the southern Champasak region might add lemongrass.
