Happy Fathers Day! Celebrate Dad with Chinese Style Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (糖醋排骨)
- Amy Yu
- Jun 15, 2014
- 3 min read
When I was a kid, my dad made a batch of these pork ribs and gave them to me stuffed in a giant pickle jar as a parting gift for my road trip back to Fargo. (My parents live 8 hours apart by car.) It sounds gross now but at the time, I couldn’t have been happier, hugging the oversized jar and munching on endless sweet and savory pork ribs the entire ride home. Now whenever I eat this Classic Chinese dish, I think about my dad and that jar of delicious ribs.
Pickle jar aside, these may just be the quickest and most delicious pork ribs you’ve ever had. No complicated marinades, no long roasting times in the oven, no annoying basting. One saucepan and one hour is all you need to make these epically tasty ribs. Make some for dad and he’s sure be impressed.
A few notes about the recipe: The reason for quickly blanching the riblets in boiling water before cooking them with sauce is to remove any impurities in the meat. Don’t skip sautéing the sugar. This step adds a subtle caramel note to the flavor of the dish and really takes it to the next level. Make sure to keep an eye on the ribs during the simmer. The sauce should be bubbling but not boiling rapidly. If the heat is too low, the ribs won’t tenderize but if it’s too high, you risk burning the sauce. I admit that I messed up this step when I cooked this yesterday and got way too much char at the bottom of my pan, but it still tasted delicious.
What are you waiting for? Get cooking!
Chinese Style Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs（糖醋排骨）
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients:
About 1 pound pork riblets or rib tips*
1 tbsp. neutral flavor oil, such as grape seed or canola
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 stalk scallion, white and green parts divided
3 tbsps. dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1 tbsp. Shaoxing cooking wine**
White sesame seeds, for garnish
Preparation:
Cut the riblets into sections by slicing between each rib. Roughly cut the white part of the scallion into a few sections and thinly slice the green tops.
Bring about a quart of water to a rapid boil in a medium saucepan. Add the riblets, cook about 1 minutes, or until no longer pink and drain in a colander over the sink. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and set aside.
In a clean saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic and, the white part of the scallion and sauté about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the sugar, salt, and spices, if using, and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, or until sugar is completely dissolved and caramelized. Add the riblets and toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and cooking wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Stir and toss the ribs once or twice during the simmer to ensure even cooking.
Remove the lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid evaporates and the ribs are glazed, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or chopsticks, transfer the ribs to a serving dish. Garnish with the green onion tops and sesame seeds.
Recommended: serve family style along with rice and sautéed veggies.
*Riblets or rib tips are a full set of spare ribs that have been cut to approximately 1 ½’’ in width.
**Shaoxing cooking wine can be purchased in most Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, you may substitute it with dry sherry.
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