Steve wrote:

> Here my description of the making of nuoc mau - Vietnamese caramel
> sauce. It is a required flavoring for thit nuong (grilled pork
> chops), kho dishes (stews), meatballs, grilled beef, and many
> other dishes in Vietnamese cuisine.
>
> This is for serious cooks that are into making authentic
> Vietnamese dishes.
>
> http://yfrog.com/mtnuocmauhalfwayjx
>
> I tried adding comments but that site sucks - so the gallery is
> not that useful. The complete description can be found he
> http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/...mel-sauce.html
>
> And uses:
> http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?...se-kho-dishes/

The top half of my Farberware double boiler doesn't get much use, but it's
perfect for making nuoc mau. The bottom of the pan is very thin, so when you
put it into water to stop the sugar from cooking further, there's very
little residual heat in the metal, so the cooking stops almost instantly.
The bottom of the pan is rounded, so it's easy to stir and swirl.

http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Cla.../dp/B00004RGB7

The pan is also shiny on the bottom, which allows for easy monitoring of the
color. Trying to make nuoc mau in a cast-iron skillet would be a nightmare!

Using an expensive pan with a bonded bottom is asking for trouble; the heat
differential as the hot pan is put into the cold water could cause the
metals to delaminate, ruining the pan. It's best to use a pan with a thin
bottom, and most cheap pans would do just fine.

Bob