Huaiyang Pork Ribs with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Set the table with this homely dish of pork ribs which originated from Huaiyang cuisine from Jiangsu, China – it's full of flavours and has a hearty sweetness.

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: mins
Cook Time: mins
Difficulty Level: 2/5

Ingredients

• 250 g pork ribs
• 1 litre oil
• 30 g green onion
• 30 g ginger
• 20 ml huatiao wine
• 1 litre water
• 200 ml dark vinegar (look for Zhenjiang vinegar from Yue Hwa Chinese Products)
• 200 g sugar
• 2 g roasted sesame seeds

Steps

01. Chop the pork ribs into 5 cm-long pieces.

02. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the pork ribs for two minutes. Strain the pork ribs from the oil and set aside.

03. Scoop out most of the oil and leave a few tablespoons to stir-fry the green onion, ginger and wine. Then add the pork ribs again.

04. Pour the water into the wok. Stir and bring to a boil. Then add 100 ml vinegar and 100 g sugar, lower the fire and cover. Braise for 30 mins until the flavours penetrate the pork ribs. Stir occasionally.

05. Add the remaining vinegar and sugar. Stir-fry the mixture over low heat until a sticky gravy coats the pork ribs.

06. Serve on a platter and garnish with roasted sesame seeds.

Recipe: Chef Qi Zhi Hai/Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel / Photo: Lee Jia Wen/The Straits Times