Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Karen
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs are savory, succulent, and covered in finger-licking good sauce!
This Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs is my Mom’s recipe that has been perfected over time. The inspiration comes from a dish called Number Ribs, which is so named because the ingredients are in a proportion of 1 part Chinese cooking wine, 2 parts vinegar, 3 parts sugar, 4 parts soy sauce, and 5 parts water. Easy to remember, right?
As long as you follow the proportion, the taste should turn out right. I add a bit of oyster sauce and ginger slices to take it up a notch. The result is a batch of flavorful, succulent ribs with a sticky, finger lickin’ good sauce!
The sweetness and the acidity of the sauce make for a delicious combo.
We like the rib meat to be tender but still on the bone, but if you like it fall-off-the-bone tender, then by all means cook them for a bit longer. You can add more water if the sauce thickens up too much before the ribs are done.
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork spare ribs fat trimmed and cut into single ribs
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger sliced
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 2 tbsps soy sauce
- 2 tbsps Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tbsps dark Chinese vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- Toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Add pork ribs and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, turning the ribs occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the ribs are tender. Add more water if necessary to maintain liquid level.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve hot.
