I recently returned from a week-long trip to Oahu Hawaii, and boy did I miss my kitchen. I craved for Vietnamese food the moment I unlocked the front door.
Usually, I opt for caramelized catfish (Cá Kho) and sweet and sour tamarind soup (canh chua) immediately after a trip but then realized I didn’t have all the ingredients, and I wasn’t about to go to the grocery store.
Luckily, I have a life-long supply of pork ribs from Costco in the garage freezer, and it was long overdue to update my old recipe of Vietnamese pan-fried pork ribs (Sườn Chiên).
Unlike the first recipe which was to make an authentic dish without too much fuss, I chose the more traditional route this time.
I’m adding fish sauce, sugar, and a ton more aromatics, especially when I noticed that my lemongrass was thriving after a week of neglect. Just look at that beauty above.
I served the fried pork riblets with steamed rice and a side of Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Minced Shrimp (Canh Bí Đỏ Nấu Tôm Băm).
Dinner was cooked and served, and I got the rest of the night off complaining about being bored and thinking of my next trip.
How to Make Suon Chien Sa
Step 1: Prepare the Ribs
Use a knife to loosen a corner of the membrane, then pull it off with your hands. For a better grip, use a paper towel. Removing the membrane helps with marination and results in tender pork.
If you skip this step, you’ll need to braise the pork a bit longer to achieve the same tenderness.
To eliminate any unpleasant odors, rub the pork with salt, then rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Cut into Long Ribs
Cut between the bones of the pork rib slab to create long, individual ribs.
Step 3: Cut into Short Ribs
Using a sharp butcher knife, chop the ribs into 2-inch pieces. Don’t hack off a finger. That would add extra cooking time. Kidding.
Step 4: Marinate
Marinate pork ribs with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, and the seasonings in a bowl for at least one hour, or overnight in the fridge for the best results.
Step 5: Pan Fry
Lightly coat the ribs in cornstarch to absorb excess moisture.
Pan-fry them. Add a bit of water to braise until ribs are tender then let all the excess liquid evaporate off.
Garnish with thinly sliced onions and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.
Traditional Vietnamese Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs with Fish Sauce (Sườn Chiên Sả)
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A tender and delicious pan-fried, bite-size pork ribs, marinated in an aromatic lemongrass mixture. Serve on its own as an appetizer or with steamed rice for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork spare ribs
- 2 teaspoons salt (optional for cleaning)
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and a sprinkle as garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (meat tenderizer)
- 3 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon minced)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (about 2 tablespoons minced)
- 1 small shallot (about 1 tablespoon minced)
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 scallion/green onion (optional; slice thin)
Instructions
- Cleaning (optional but recommended): Remove the outer membrane of the pork. It’s typically only on one side. Start off by tearing or cutting a small piece then pull the rest off with your hands. It can get slippery. If so, use a paper towel for a better grip. Clean the pork by giving it a good rub down with salt. This helps get rid of any foul pork smell and surface residue. Rinse the ribs under cold running water to wash off salt then drain or pat dry.
- Cut the pork: Cut in-between the bones into long single rib pieces, then use a sharp meat cleaver/butcher knife to hack each rib into bite-size 2-inch segments. Have confidence in your hacking skill to have clean cuts. Otherwise, you will have small pieces of bone fragments. Be careful of those fingers.
- Marinate: In a medium-size bowl, marinate ribs with bouillon powder, sugar, fish sauce, ground black pepper, baking soda, garlic, and lemongrass for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge for best results.
- Fry: In a large 12-skillet with a lid, heat vegetable oil on medium-high. Toss marinated pork ribs with cornstarch until evenly coated. Pan fry spare ribs until golden brown on all sides (about 5 minutes).
- Cover and braise: Add water (½ cup), cover skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Remove lid and continue to pan-fry until moisture is gone.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with sliced green onion/scallion and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper and serve. Serve with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: entree, appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
