Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Khia or Suon Ra

• servings: 3 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs pork spare ribs

1 shallot (finely diced)

3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder

2 tablespoons fish sauce

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)

¾ cup coconut soda

½ cup water

1 green onion (optional; thinly sliced)

Directions

Prepare the pork

Cut pork spare ribs into bite-sized pieces. Clean the pork (optional but highly recommended). Fill a small pot with water (enough to cover the spare ribs when added). Add salt (1 teaspoon). Bring the water to a boil. Add pork ribs and blanch the pork for 8 minutes or until scum floats to the top. This will remove the impurities and off-smell of pork. Drain the ribs in a colander in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pork ribs are now ready to be cooked.

Marinate the pork

Combine pork with shallots, garlic, bouillon powder, fish sauce, black pepper, and sugar (1 tablespoon) for 10 minutes.

Make the caramel sauce

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar directly into a medium pot over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. The sugar 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 and stir evenly to get the amber color onto the pork. The caramelized sugar may start to clump. Do not worry. The heat will dissolve the clumps of sugar back into the pot.

Braise

Add coconut soda and water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid (a little off-center to prevent the liquid from boiling over). Reduce heat to a medium-low simmer and braise for 30 to 40 minutes. Occasionally toss the pork for even cooking. Remove lid and continue to simmer on low until the liquid evaporates off, leaving a shiny glaze on the pork.

Garnish and serve

Top with green onions for a beautiful finish.