The epitome of Vietnamese home cooking is steamed rice and a fish-sauce-braised dish. If possible, throw in a vegetable soup or a stir-fry to make it complete and awesome.
As a kid, I really enjoyed pork belly and eggs (Thịt Kho Tàu/Thịt Kho Trứng) as the braised dish of choice (like all other Vietnamese kids).
But as I grow older, the fattiness of pork belly gets to me. I don’t feel good eating it.
Now, I like something with a bit of tartness to offset some of the richness, such as this classic braised dish, Sườn Kho Khóm.
The kids and husband don’t like it as much because of the pineapples, but the perk of growing older is that I don’t care. More for me!
What is Suon Kho Khom?
In Vietnamese, sườn means ribs (or more precisely, sườn heo for pork ribs), kho means to braise, and khóm (or thơm) means pineapple.
Sườn Kho Khóm is simply pork ribs braised in a savory fish sauce with pineapple. This dish also goes by the name Sườn Kho Thơm or Sườn Kho Chua Ngọt.
I enjoy the sweet tartness of the pineapple and the leaner cut of pork ribs. Plus, the long braise brings out that amazing bone-broth flavor.
What You Will Need
To make this dish, gather the following ingredients:
- Pork spare ribs: My local Costco has pork spare ribs that are cut into smaller sections rather than thick, long slabs. One pack usually contains 3 strips of pork ribs that are about 1 to 2 inches long. These are still a bit bigger than the ones at Asian grocery stores, but they are great for this recipe.
- Pineapple: I usually get a whole pineapple at Costco as well. Cut it up and use 1/4 for this recipe and freeze the remaining. The pineapple enzymes tenderize the meat and the juice reduces down to create a sweet and slightly tart glaze. If you can’t find fresh, canned pineapple also works.
- Aromatics: Minced shallot (yellow onion works too) and minced garlic.
- Green onion: Thinly sliced. Keep the white parts for the marinade and the green parts for the final garnish.
- Fish sauce: The savory umami backbone of the this classic Vietnamese braised dish.
- Oyster sauce: Adds an extra layer of savory umami.
- Thick soy sauce or Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce (nước màu): This gives the meat a beautiful, rich dark brown color. You can also use dark soy sauce.
- Granulated sugar: To balance the salty fish sauce and tart pineapple.
- Ground black pepper: The go-to, not-too-spicy spice for both the marinade and final garnish.
How to Make it
Step 1: Prepare aromatics and marinate
Chop the pineapples and aromatics. Cut the pork strips into bite-sized pieces by cutting in between the bones.
Optional but recommended: Rinse the ribs under warm tap water until the water runs clear to remove any strong porky smell and impurities.
Toss the ribs in a bowl with the minced shallot, garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, thick soy sauce, sugar (use half for now because pineapple sweetness may vary), and the white parts of the green onion.
Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge for even more flavor.
Step 2: Braise
Transfer the pork ribs and all of their marinade into a wide skillet. Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Alternatively, you can pan-fry additional aromatics (garlic and shallots) first to build deeper layers of flavor, but this method is faster and just as delicious.
Step 3: Reduce the sauce
After 20 minutes, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook uncovered. The pineapple will release its natural juices and reduce down into a darker glaze (about 20 more minutes).
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Turn off the heat. Toss in the reserved green parts of the green onion and more freshly ground black pepper for that final aroma. Serve with warm steamed rice and other side vegetable dishes for a complete meal.
Pro Tips
- Want to skip the pineapple completely? If you want a purely savory dish, try my popular braised pork recipe (Sườn Ram Mặn).
- Don’t do fish sauce? Try my Chinese soy sauce-braise version.
- Clean the ribs: Some recipes parboil the pork ribs first to get rid of bone fragments and impurities that might look clunky in the final glaze. I find that it really depends on the quality of the meat, so you can skip this if you start with high-quality ribs that don’t have a strong porky odor.
- Adjust the sweetness: Fresh pineapples vary in how sweet they are. Hold back a little bit of the sugar in the marinade, then taste the reduced sauce at the very end and adjust if needed.
Storage & Reheating
Just like many Vietnamese braised dishes, they taste so much better the next day, so make sure to double the recipe for amazing leftovers. Also great for meal prepping to bring to school or work.
To store, keep it in a covered pot so you can easily reheat it on the stovetop, or transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until warmed through, stirring occasionally for even heating.
Vietnamese Braised Pork Spare Ribs and Pineapple (Sườn Kho Khóm)
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Craving an authentic Vietnamese braised dish that isn’t too heavy? Try these tender pork spare ribs braised with pineapple. My husband and kids aren’t big fans, but who cares! I absolutely love it. The sweet tartness of the pineapple perfectly offsets the richness. It’s also perfect for meal prep since the leftovers taste even better on day two.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork spare ribs strips
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot or yellow onion
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thick soy sauce or Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 8 oz finely sliced pineapple (about 1/4 pineapple, no core)
- 1 large green onion (thinly sliced; whites/greens separated)
Instructions
- Marinate: Chop the pork strips into bite-sized pieces by cutting between the bones. Optionally, rinse the ribs under warm tap water until the water runs clear to remove any strong porky smell and impurities. Toss the spare ribs in a bowl with the minced shallot, garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, thick soy sauce, sugar (use half for now), and the white parts of the green onion. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can also marinate overnight in the fridge for better flavor.
- Braise: Transfer the pork ribs and all of their marinade into a wide skillet. Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the sauce: After 20 minutes, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook uncovered. The pineapple will release its natural juices and reduce down into a darker glaze (about additional 20 minutes). Taste test and add remaining sugar if needed.
- Garnish and serve: Turn off the heat. Toss in the reserved green parts of the green onion and more freshly ground black pepper for that final aroma. Serve with warm steamed rice and optional side vegetable dishes for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
