Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Khia or Suon Ram Man) is a classic Vietnamese side dish. Without it (or a similar side dish), a Vietnamese home-cooked meal is incomplete. In this dish, the pork spare rib is slowly braised in coconut juice until fall-of-the-bone tender. The liquid is then cooked off at the end, reducing to a sweet and savory glaze.
I enjoyed this dish very much as a child. Because pork spare rib was a luxury item back then, we didn’t have this dish too often. When we did, we savored the dish by gnawing on the bones and licking our fingers clean. Now, when no one’s looking, let’s be honest, I do the same. Video and written recipe below. Happy cooking.
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Khia or Suon Ram Man)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
A classic Vietnamese side dish featuring pork spare ribs slowly braised in coconut juice until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. The cooking liquid is reduced at the end, creating a rich, sweet, and savory glaze that coats the ribs perfectly.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork spare ribs
- 1 shallot (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
- 3/4 cup coconut soda
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 green onion (optional; thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: Cut pork spare ribs into bite-sized pieces. Clean the pork (optional but highly recommended). Fill a small pot with water (enough to cover the spare ribs when added). Add salt (1 teaspoon). Bring the water to a boil. Add pork ribs and blanch the pork for 8 minutes or until scum floats to the top. This will remove the impurities and off-smell of pork. Drain the ribs in a colander in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pork ribs are now ready to be cooked.
- Marinate the pork: Combine pork with shallots, garlic, bouillon powder, fish sauce, black pepper, and sugar (1 tablespoon) for 10 minutes.
- Make the caramel sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of sugar directly into a medium pot over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. The sugar will caramelize, turning a dark amber color. Once this happens, quickly and carefully add the marinated pork (and all the marinade juices) into the pot and stir evenly to get the amber color onto the pork. The caramelized sugar may start to clump. Do not worry. The heat will dissolve the clumps of sugar back into the pot.
- Braise: Add coconut soda and water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid (a little off-center to prevent the liquid from boiling over). Reduce heat to a medium-low simmer and braise for 30 to 40 minutes. Occasionally toss the pork for even cooking. Remove lid and continue to simmer on low until the liquid evaporates off, leaving a shiny glaze on the pork.
- Garnish and serve: Top with green onions for a beautiful finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
