Vietnamese Caramel Pork with Jaca

A classic Vietnamese comfort dish — tender pork shoulder braised low and slow in a sticky, sweet-savory caramel glaze made with Jaca (allulose), coconut water, fish sauce, and garlic. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version of the beloved Thit Kho To.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1/2 cup brown sugar at 2x ratio
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 pounds pork shoulder (butt), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups coconut water
• 1 shallot, very finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 red chili, sliced (for garnish)
• 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions:

- Place 1 cup Jaca (allulose) and 1 tablespoon water in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir until the Jaca melts and begins to bubble into a golden caramel, about 3–4 minutes.

- Add the pork shoulder pieces to the caramel and stir to coat evenly.

- Pour in the coconut water, then add the sliced shallot, minced garlic, fish sauce, and white pepper. Stir to combine.

- Bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust heat so the liquid is bubbling steadily but not rapidly.

- Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking. The pork should become fork-tender and the liquid will gradually reduce.

- When the liquid has reduced down and the pork is tender, continue stirring as the fat separates. The pork will begin to brown and caramelize in the rendered fat.

- Once the glaze is sticky and clinging to the pork pieces (no more pooling liquid), remove from heat.

- If the pork becomes tender before the liquid has fully reduced, simply continue simmering. If the liquid reduces before the pork is tender, add 1/2 cup water and keep cooking.

- Serve over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with sliced red chili and green onions.

This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version of Vietnamese Caramel Pork (Thit Kho To) — all the rich, sticky-sweet flavor without conventional sugar.