Caramelized Pork Spare Rib

When the kids were younger…every week I would make a HUGE pot of Suon Ram Man ( Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Rib) and we would have it for a quick meal for at least 2-3 days. I am so thankful for this dish because it heats up so well and my kids that were on table food….LOVES IT!! It is also a great way for the KIDS to eat their veggies…my kids LOVE it with sliced cucumber or steam broccoli. Its super easy for the kids to eat…especially if I add in some quail eggs. THEY LOVE IT!! I still remember serving this to my 2 oldest one right after I had my #3 …it was so hard to cook a meal every single day and at that age they were able to feed themselves. The pork spareribs were so tender that the meat literally fell off the bone…so, I would debone the meat and give them some white rice and sliced cucumber and they were HAPPY little campers. Honestly, even to this day…ALL 4 of my KIDS STILL loves this dish..EVEN my husband 😉

So, if you are a new mom with kids that are on table food…make A HUGE batch of this and keep some in the refrigerator for those BUSY crazy days.

 

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs pork spare ribs (cut them into bite sizes pieces)
1 teaspoon salt for cleaning pork
1 medium size shallot (minced)
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon chicken powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 can Coco Rico or coconut water

GARNISH
1 green onion ( thinly slice)
cracked black pepper

CARAMELIZE SAUCE
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon sugar (white)

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a MEDIUM pot with water (enough to cover the spareribs when added). Add salt. Bring the water to a boil. To the boiling water, add pork spareribs. Blanch the pork spareribs for 5 minutes. This will remove the impurities and off-smell of pork.

2. Drain the ribs in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.

3. Marinate the pork with shallot, chicken powder, fish sauce, garlic powder,  black pepper and sugar. Let the pork marinate at least 30 minutes (overnight in fridge for best results).

4. MAKING the CARAMELIZE SAUCE: Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoon oil directly into a medium size pot over medium high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. The sugar and oil 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. MAKE sure to stir evenly to get the amber color onto ALL the pork spareribs.  The caramelized sugar may start to clump. Do not worry. The heat will dissolve the clumps of sugar and oil back into the pot.

5. NEXT, add in the 1 can of COCO RICO or coconut juice and bring pot to a boil.

6. Cover the pot with a LID… THEN turn the heat to the LOW or SIMMERING and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to simmer on low for 20-30 more minutes. The liquid in the pot will evaporate off leaving a shiny glaze on the pork. Season according to taste…if it isn’t salty enough …add more fish.

7. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and garnish with green onion and a sprinkle of black pepper. Enjoy with a HUGE BOWL of white rice and some sliced cucumber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIDE NOTE: If you like to add some boiled eggs or a can of quail eggs..add it in after you take the LID off the POT. **If you don’t have time to marinade the spareribs…then just make the caramelize sauce and then add in the spareribs and TOSS until its well coated then add in the FISH SAUCE and all the ingredients and follow the rest of the cooking instructions. When I am press for time… and have to cook right away…I do it this way ..the DISH STILL TASTE just as good.