• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
cook with dana

Cook With Dana

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

July 29, 2022

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

sticky and tender sweet and sour pork ribs inspired by ding tai fung

Sweet and sour pork ribs is usually served as an appetizer in Chinese or Taiwanese restaurants. Typically served cold and is a fan favorite! Not only is the ribs pull apart tender, the tangy and sweet flavor is very addicting. The sauce is sticky and very fragrant from the Chinese black vinegar.

This recipe was inspired by Din Tai Fung’s sweet and sour pork ribs. My mom and grandma are huge fans of the Din Tai Fung version so I had to make them mine at home. The only difference is that mine are baked vs theirs is fried (more juicy and more fatty). Since I eat at home, I want to be healthier. However, if you want to skip the roast part in this recipe and fry instead, go for it 😀

Why do you wash the pork ribs?

In Chinese cooking, we prefer to have a cleaner taste when its comes to pork. Washing the pork can rid of any gaminess smell. Soaking the ribs in water for 15-30 minutes really helps remove some bone shards and blood from the bones. After soaking, you will see blood coming from the bones. For this recipe, you will need to make the ribs extra dry with a paper towel. If they are wet, they will not roast as well in the oven.

pork ribs soaking in water
soak for 15 minutes
pork ribs on baking rack with tray
roast on wire rack for 25-30 minutes

The sauce is the most important part!

The sweet and sour sauce for this recipe requires patience when it comes to melting the sugar and thickening the sauce at the end. The rock sugar provides a red tint to the ribs due to the caramelization of the sugars. In addition, the sugar and collagen from the pork ribs will help thicken the sauce when the heat is on high. There’s no need for cornstarch for this recipe.

Avoid substitutions for this recipe

If you don’t use the rock sugar and the Zhenjiang black vinegar, the flavor and cooking methods will vary. I highly recommend the Zhenjiang black vinegar as it is less sour and it gives the ribs a darker color as well. If you really can’t use rock sugar, you can use white sugar but no subs for the vinegar ◡̈

chinese rock sugar white
rock sugar
zhenjiang black vinegar
Zhenjiang Black Vinegar

If your sauce is not thick enough:

After cooking on high for 10 minutes and you don’t see the sauce thickening to your likeness, take the ribs out. You will need to cook down the sauce on high heat and continue stirring for 5 to 10 minutes. This would boil the water out of the sauce the sugars and collagen of the pork would thicken it up.

sticky and tender sweet and sour pork ribs inspired by ding tai fung

Looking For More Delicious Chinese Appetizers?

  • Air Fryer Chicken Yakitori – Sweet and savory chicken appetizers are great for lunch and dinner
  • Shrimp Toast – the savory shrimp paste is so delicious on crispy toast!

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR SWEET & SOUR PORK RIBS:

To roast pork ribs:

  • 2 pound pork ribs (bone-in)
  • 2 tablespoon oil, to brush
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking:

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1/4 cup rock sugar (recommended for the deep red color)
  • seared ribs
  • 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups water (pour enough water to cover the ribs)
  • 1/4 cup black vinegar (can not substitute with other vinegars)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
  • 4 slices ginger
  • 3 green onions, white parts only

After 15 minutes of cooking on low heat:

  • 1/2 cup rock sugar

At the end of cooking:

  • add 1/3 cup black vinegar (adjust on how sweet and sour you like it)
  • garnish with sesame seeds and green onions

STEPS TO MAKE THE SWEET & SOUR PORK RIBS:

To roast pork ribs:

  1. Wash ribs with water and soak for at least 15 minutes, drain and pat until very dry. Place ribs on baking rack on top of a tray. Make sure they are evenly spaced out and not overcrowded.
  2. Add a light even layer of salt on the ribs and brush some oil on the top. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Scrape off the black bits (blood) off the bones after baking. This method helps make the ribs less oily and removes the blood and impurities from the bones. Set aside ribs.

Cooking:

  1. Start with adding sugar to cold oil in a pot on low-medium heat. Continue stirring until sugar has melted and caramelized (turned brown like soy sauce) on low-medium heat. This step is crucial and takes a lot of patience but is worth it! Cook slowly until the sugar melts and turns golden like a soy sauce color. Add roasted pork ribs and coat the ribs in sugar.
  2. Then, add the following sauces: 1 cup to 1 1/2 cup water (pour enough water to cover the ribs), 1/4 cup black vinegar (can not substitute with other vinegars), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce, 3 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine, 4 slices ginger, and 3 green onions (white parts only). Turn heat to medium and bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Then, cover and turn heat to low for 15 minutes.
  3. After simmering on low heat for 15 minutes, add 1/4 cup rock sugar. If you like extra sweet flavor add 2 more tablespoons of rock sugar. Stir everything together until sugar has melted. Simmer with a lid on low for 15 more minutes. Take out the ginger and green onion out after 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid and cook on high for 5-10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Once the sauce has thickened to your desired likeness, add 1/3 cup of black vinegar. We add at the end of cooking because the flavor of the vinegar has changed while cooking. Give it a few stirs and you’re done! If the sauce has not thickened, look in ‘If you sauce is not thick enough’ section of the blog above.
  5. The ribs are meant to eat at room temperature. You can eat along with rice or noodles and some green vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and hope you enjoy!
sweet and sour pork ribs with green onions on top
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
No ratings yet

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

Ding Tai Fung inspired pork ribs are tender and taste like an explosion of sweet, salty and sour.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chinese, pork ribs, sweet and sour, taiwanese

Ingredients

To roast ribs:

  • 2 pounds pork ribs (bone-in)
  • 2 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable) to brush
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Cooking

  • 2 tablespoon neutral oil
  • ¼ cup rock sugar recommended for the deep red color
  • seared ribs
  • 1 to 1½ cup water pour enough to cover the ribs
  • ¼ cup black vinegar cannot substitute with other vinegars
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
  • 4 slices ginger
  • 3 green onions white parts only

After 15 minutes of cooking on low heat:

  • ½ cup rock sugar

At end of cooking:

  • ⅓ cup black vinegar adjust on how sweet and sour you like it
  • sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Instructions

to roast ribs

  • Wash ribs with water and soak for at least 15 minutes, drain and pat until very dry. Place ribs on baking rack on top of a tray. Make sure they are evenly spaced out and not overcrowded.
  • Add a light even layer of salt on the ribs and brush some oil on the top. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Scrape off the black bits (blood) off the bones after baking. This method helps make the ribs less oily and removes the blood and impurities from the bones. Set aside ribs.
    2 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable), ½ teaspoon salt

cooking

  • Start with adding sugar to cold oil in a pot on low-medium heat. Continue stirring until sugar has melted and caramelized (turned brown like soy sauce) on low-medium heat. This step is crucial and takes a lot of patience but is worth it! Cook slowly until the sugar melts and turns golden like a soy sauce color. Add roasted pork ribs and coat the ribs in sugar.
    2 tablespoon neutral oil, ¼ cup rock sugar, seared ribs
  • Then, add the following sauces: 1 cup to 1 1/2 cup water (pour enough water to cover the ribs), 1/4 cup black vinegar (can not substitute with other vinegars), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce, 3 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine, 4 slices ginger, and 3 green onions (white parts only). Turn heat to medium and bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Then, cover and turn heat to low for 15 minutes.
    ½ teaspoon salt, 1 to 1½ cup water, ¼ cup black vinegar, 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce, 3 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine, 4 slices ginger, 3 green onions
  • After simmering on low heat for 15 minutes, add 1/4 cup rock sugar. If you like extra sweet flavor add 2 more tablespoons of rock sugar. Stir everything together until sugar has melted. Simmer with a lid on low for 15 more minutes. Take out the ginger and green onion out after 30 minutes.
    ½ cup rock sugar
  • Remove the lid and cook on high for 5-10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Once the sauce has thickened to your desired likeness, add 1/3 cup of black vinegar. We add at the end of cooking because the flavor of the vinegar has changed while cooking. Give it a few stirs and you’re done! If the sauce has not thickened, look in 'If you sauce is not thick enough' section of the blog above.
    ⅓ cup black vinegar
  • The ribs are meant to eat at room temperature. You can eat along with rice or noodles and some green vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and hope you enjoy!
    sesame seeds and green onions

Video

@cookwithdana

I could eat 100 of these din tai fung inspired pork ribs 😍 #learnontiktok #tiktokrecipes #pork #dintaifung

♬ Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz(806744) – MaSssuguMusic

Did you make this recipe? 💖

Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a comment below to share your experience! Tag @cookwithdanaa on instagram to show me your beautiful creations😊

in Recipes, Appetizer, Main Dishes # chinese takeout, ribs, sweet and sour pork

Reader Interactions

you may also like
Soy Cured Egg Yolks
Easy Dan Dan Noodles
Easy Ox Bone Soup (Seolleongtang)
Turnip Cake (Loh Bak Go)

Comments

  1. T says

    August 22, 2022 at 2:43 am

    Looks amazing. Can we roast the ribs in the oven ahead of time like a day before?

    Reply
    • Cook With Dana says

      August 22, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      Hi! Yes you can do it advance. Be mindful that you will need to add additional cooking time because the ribs will be cold from the fridge ◡̈

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About Me

Hi there, I'm Dana and I create Asian recipes that are yummy and easy for everyone to make! I hope my food reminds you of a little taste of home.

Sign up & never miss a recipe from cook with dana!

Popular Recipes

Featured

soy cured egg yolks rice, green onions, seaweed

Soy Cured Egg Yolks

white long noodles with sliced cucumber, minced pork and peanuts on top. mix with sesame and chili sauce for fragrant noodles

Easy Dan Dan Noodles

Latest ‘Grams

You gotta do a mushroom dance after a bite☺️🍄 We are making a one pot mushroom rice for our recipes series where we cook delicious food using one pot only (and using as little amount of dishes as possible).

for full recipe - google ‘mushroom rice dana’ or click the photo in my link in bio! 🍄🍚

This is an old recipe/video but it’s one of my favorites mainly because of the texture of this dish. I love the chewy and soft mushrooms with the crispness of the bamboo…chef’s kiss!! Don’t even get me started on the fresh basil garnish…It provides SO MUCH FLAVOR! 

Follow @cookwithdanaa & join the ‘i hate dishes’ club! Don’t miss out on episode 3 coming out next week!
——
#vegetarian #easyrecipes #onepotmeal #ihatedishesclub #mushrooms #asianfood #rice
Come join the ‘i hate dishes’ club! Welcome to Come join the ‘i hate dishes’ club! Welcome to episode 1 of my recipes series where we cook delicious food using one pot only and using as little amount of dishes as possible. This is an easy one pot Chinese chicken and rice dish made in a rice cooker!

Stay tuned and follow @cookwithdanaa for more one pot meals!

I marinated the chicken with this spicy bake mix that’s made of ginger powder, white pepper and a little magic powder of course. MAKES THE RICE SOO GOOOD.

full recipe - [https://cookwithdana.com/one-pot-chinese-chicken-rice/] or click the photo in my link in bio! 🍚
——
#onepotmeal #chickenrecipes #rice #deliciousfood #easyrecipes #ricecooker
authentic chinese food that’s not what you see o authentic chinese food that’s not what you see on mainstream media; i wouldn’t say it’s aesthetic, but i can guarentee you that it’s super delicious, homey and healthy! i would say this is a pretty standard cantonese diet for our family! 😜

  what i ate: 
 - breakfast/lunch: pork and chive dumplings, bok choy, rice noodles with tomato soup
 - snack: chicken nuggets (naturally bare from costco!) with chick fil a sauce & grapes
 - dinner: chinese soup, stuffed jalapenos, spareribs, tomato and egg (leftovers from night before), asparagus, bok choy, and hot white rice
 - dessert: oreo and cookie dough ice cream
——
#whatieatinaday #chinesefood #delicious #vlog #asianfood
When I was little, I would take these family cooki When I was little, I would take these family cooking events for granted. Now that I’m an adult, I keep reminiscing on the times that we would get the family together to wrap dumplings.

 🥟 pork and shrimp wonton recipe on the blog (link in bio or google ‘pork and shrimp wontons dana’)
❤️ best potstickers recipe is in our family cookbook (cookwithdana.com/shop or link in bio to purchase)

I know I’m not the best wrapper lol don’t make fun of me pls. 🤓

Cooking Tip: If you make some modifications to the filling, you can make wontons and potstickers all at once. Although, you will need different types of wrappers: thin egg wrappers for wontons and thick ones for potstickers. There is also a difference in cooking methods as wontons are usually boiled while potstickers are pan-fried for a crispy exterior. 
—
#dumplings #potstickers #chinesefood #wontons #dintaifung #asianfood #deliciousfood
The easiest way to achieve flavor town is to add a The easiest way to achieve flavor town is to add a soy cured egg to your rice, noodles or any carb you wish (porridge and toast too!). The raw egg yolks are marinated in soy sauce, mirin & other goodies (bonito, kombu, garlic and onions) for a few hours or overnight. The textures and flavors vary depending on how long you marinate them for. I preferred marinating the eggs overnight (24 hours) to achieve a jammy and umami flavored egg yolk!

See my blog post (link in bio) to see detailed instructions and tips to make the perfect soy cured egg or google ‘soy eggs dana’ for the recipe!
——
#eggs #japanesefood #marinated #rice #asianfood #cookingvideos #deliciousfood
I love adding this teriyaki glaze on everything! E I love adding this teriyaki glaze on everything! Especially on my katsu and donburi (rice) bowls . The teriyaki tastes slightly sweet, savory, and reminds me of donburi bowls in Japan! To get this authentic taste, I cook @mizkanflavors Mirin Sweet Cooking Seasoning, soy sauce, sugar and sake together. Adding extra slices of ginger helps with the gaminess of pork and balances the sweetness of the teriyaki glaze. The sauce is very versatile and can be used on many Japanese traditional dishes such as pork katsu, fish, chicken or steamed vegetables.

One of my favorite donburi is pork katsu! So, I created a tasty recipe that did not require oil frying. This air-fryer recipe comes very close to the fried version and tastes not as heavy. The exterior is crispy and fragrant! The best part is that I eat it with scrambled eggs, fresh rice and teriyaki. Hope you get to try out this delicious recipe!

Servings:  2 people
Ingredients- 

Air-Fryer Pork Katsu:
- 2 pork cutlets (boneless, ½-pound each)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

Teriyaki Glaze:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Mizkan® Mirin Sweet Cooking Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 slices ginger, ¼ inch thick each approximately x-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon sake

Directions continued in the comments 👇🏻
——
#ad #Mizkan #FlavorofJapan #asianfood #japanesefood #delicious #easymeals
2021 © Cook With Dana
made by soulmuse