Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (Chinese Family Recipe for Busy Moms)
These Chinese Sweet and Sour Spareribs are packed with authentic flavors and are easy to make with only eight ingredients.
Servings: 4 - 5
Calories: 412kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb. baby-back ribs Chinese cut
- 5 tbsp. rice vinegar divided
- 3 tbsp. sugar*
- 3 tbsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. shaoxing wine liao jiu
- 2 tsp arrowroot starch or corn starch
- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste may not need
- Scallion or sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the ribs into 2 - 3 inch sections, rinse and pat dry.
- In an instant pot, mix the ribs with coconut aminos, shaoxing wine, and half of the rice vinegar. Let it marinate for 20 - 30 minutes (for best flavor result).
- Then add 1/2 cup of broth or water in the pot (to prevent burning). Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- **If you do not have an instant pot, you can boil the ribs -- Add the ribs into a big pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
- Using a strainer or spoon, remove the scum (aka the foam) on top of the boiling water. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for additional 30 minutes **
- Save 1 - 1.5 cups of the broth (the water the ribs were cooked in) and move the drained ribs to a large bowl.
- Cut the ribs into individual piece (one bone each) if you have not already.
- In a small bowl, make a sauce by combining the rest of rice vinegar, sugar and broth and starch.
- Heat 2 - 3 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or pan until it's shimmering.
- Carefully add the ribs into the hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown on all sides (about 1-2 minutes on each side).
- When the ribbed are browned on all sides, remve the ribs from the pot and set on a piece of paper towel
- Add the sauce to the pot. Cook on medium to high heat until the sauce is reduced to a sticky, syrupy texture. Add the ribs back into the sauce. Toss until it is evenly coated.
- Add salt to taste (if needed) and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar to boost the final flavor.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and/or scallion and serve.
Notes
* When purchasing the ribs, you can ask the butcher to cut the baby-back ribs right in the middle along the long side. In other words, we are trying to have half-sized bones here.
** You can use coconut aminos and coconut sugar here as well.
***Boiling the ribs for 30 - 40 minutes will make the inside really soft. Otherwise, the quick stir-frying process might result in a chewy and dry texture.
Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days — the flavor actually gets better overnight. They also freeze beautifully for up to two months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 737mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g