Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs

Do you remember when we used to order Chinese dinner #2 for the entire family on a Sunday night. This was for us, such a treat and we just never had enough of the Sweet and Sour spare ribs. Here is a recipe easy to prepare which gives you the harmonious blend of sweet and tangy, you long for. The recipe can be done in 5 easy steps, giving you the perfect combination of caramelized outer coating, as well as the soft and tend meat. The beauty of this recipe is the ribs do not require deep frying.

INGREDIENTS
300 gr of pork ribs chopped into small pieces

For blanching:
1 Tablespoon of chopped green onions
1 Slice of ginger
1 Tablespoon chinese cooking wine
1/4 Cup of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons sugar

For the sauce:
A dash of white sesame seeds for garnish
300 ml of hot water
1 tbsp of chopped green onions
3 slices of ginger
1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
2 Tablespoon black vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt

PREPARATION
Start by blanching the pork ribs with chopped green onions, ginger slices, and cooking wine in water. Fill the pot with water until the ribs are fully submerged. Bring the water to a gentle boil and let the ribs blanch for about 3 minutes.
During this step, remove the foam that floats to the top. These are the impurities removed from the meat. After blanching, rinse the ribs thoroughly under running tap water to remove any remaining impurities. Drain the water from the ribs. This first step is crucial in removing blood and unpleasant odors from the ribs.
Next, heat some oil in the pan or pot and add the sugar to caramelize it. The ntsugar should melt and become sticky and caramelized. Continuously stir the sugar until it fully melts. Be careful not to overcook the sugar. Otherwise, it will leave you with a burnt taste.

When the sugar is caramelized and melted, add the pork ribs and stir-fry until they are brown and sticky.

Pour in some hot water to cover the ribs, along with green onions, ginger, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, black vinegar, and salt. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Finally, add another spoonful of black vinegar and simmer over high heat to reduce the sauce and make it thick and sticky. Add more vinegar depending on how sour you want the sauce to be. If in case the sauce still does not thicken because of too much water, you can first take out the ribs to avoid overcooking them and let the sauce evaporate by cooking on high heat and continuously stirring. Once you reach your desired sauce consistency, bring back the pork ribs to the pot.

Lastly, sprinkle a generous amount of white sesame seeds before serving. You can also top it with more chopped green onions for color and fresh onion taste. Pair this with steamed rice, to which I add about 100 Grams of minced BBQ pork along with two scallions finely minced. Serve when hot.