Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Xao Chua Ngot)

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Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs Stir Fry (Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt)

What is Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt is a Vietnamese sweet and sour pork ribs stir fry. Bite-sized pieces of pork spare ribs are pan-fried, then simmered until tender in a sweet, savory, and sour tomato-based sauce. It’s often stir-fried with vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms, and pineapples and eaten with steamed rice for a complete and well-balanced meal.

What You Will Need

Pork Rib – You can use any cut of pork ribs: baby back ribs, spareribs, St. Louis ribs, and country ribs. These are the four most common cuts of pork ribs and only differ from where they originate on the pig. Pork spare ribs are more commonly sold, and that's what I'm using here.

You can get pork spare ribs at Asian grocery stores that come in strings rather than large slabs. Separate the string of ribs by cutting between the bones to get short pieces of ribs.

Strips of pork spare ribs sold at Asian grocery stores

Pork spare ribs cut into bite-sized pieces

If have a large slab of pork ribs instead, start by cutting between the bones. Then use a sharp Asian meat cleaver to chop them into 1.5” inch pieces. Do not try to use your regular knives for this!

A meat cleaver is thick and heavy and can cut through bones without ruining the knife. Just be mindful of getting your fingers out of the way.

Pork Marinade — We will be using sea salt, granulated sugar, ground black pepper to marinate the pork ribs.

Stir Fry Sauce:

Tomato sauce or ketchup — In this recipe, I’m using ketchup. It’s tomato sauce (sort of) and it’s already sweetened. Win-win for the lazy.

Maggi seasoning sauce — This sauce offers a salty umami flavor. If you cannot find Maggi seasoning sauce, you can substitute with regular soy sauce, also known as light soy sauce.

Cornstarch — To thicken up the sauce.

Water — A little bit of water is needed to dilute the sauce and dissolve the cornstarch.

Tamarind, vinegar, or lemon juice — Use one of these options to add the sour component to the sauce. I’m using fresh lemon juice here in this recipe.

Oil — I’m using vegetable oil. You can use other neutral oils such as canola, peanut, corn, or avocado oil. A small amount of oil is needed to pan-fry the ribs for that beautiful and flavorful crust.

Aromatics — I’m using shallots and garlic for their amazing aroma.

Vegetables — Common vegetables include bell peppers, pineapples, and mushrooms. But you can add any vegetable that you like or have on hand.

Button white mushroom, red bell peppers and green Anaheim peppers

Garlic, shallots, and vegetables all cut up and ready to go

How to Make It

Step 1. Cleaning ribs (optional but recommended)

To ensure the best flavor, it is recommended to clean the pork ribs before cooking. One method commonly used in Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian cooking is parboiling. This process helps remove impurities and any lingering unpleasant odor from the pork. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add ribs, and boil for about 8 minutes or until scum (the impurities) floats to the top. Remove from water, rinse, and drain dry.

Step 2: Marinate the ribs and make the sauce

Marinate the ribs with the dry seasonings (salt and ground black pepper) for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sweet and sour tomato sauce by combining the sauce ingredients (water, cornstarch, Maggi seasoning sauce or soy sauce, and lemon juice).

Step 3. Pan-fry the ribs until golden brown

In a large skillet or pan, heat oil on medium-high. Add shallots and garlic and pan-fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the marinated pork ribs and pan fry until they develop a beautiful golden brown exterior. Add a splash of water and cover with a lid. Continue cooking until pork ribs are chopstick tender.

Pan fry the pork ribs until golden brown

Step 4: Add aromatics and vegetables

Once the ribs are tender, incorporate dense vegetables first such as bell peppers, and softer vegetables such as pineapples and mushrooms last.

Step 5: Add sauce

Pour the prepared sweet and sour tomato sauce into the pan with the ribs and vegetables. Allow the ingredients to simmer together, ensuring that the sauce coats everything evenly. Cook until sauce thickens then turn off heat. Serve with rice or noodles for a complete meal.