Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt Recipe

Lastest Updated June 26, 2024
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Sườn xào chua ngọt, or Vietnamese sweet and sour pork, is a specialty combining spare ribs with a mesmerizing glaze that strikes the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. In this article, I’ll unveil the secrets behind creating a crispy and juicy masterpiece.

Discover the necessary tools and ingredients so you can create sườn xào chua ngọt at home. Don’t miss out on the exciting tips for tackling special Vietnamese dishes and other interesting suggestions to try!

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Intro

What Is Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

Sườn xào chua ngọt is among the beloved Vietnamese cooking creations that perfectly balance sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. The dish highlight is the tender spare ribs coated with a mesmerizing sauce that will impress anyone.

Commonly, locals usually feature sườn xào chua ngọt with white rice or serve the recipe as one of the many dishes for a meal. This delicious dish is highly customizable, with people often going for various vegetable varieties to enjoy different textures or flavors.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot1

What Tools Are Required To Make Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

Most of these tools are familiar to every kitchen as you only need simple containers and a few handling tools for working the spices into the pork ribs. Here are the tools you need to get your hands on for making sườn xào chua ngọt:

  • Non-stick skillet: Your go-to choice for making sườn xào chua ngọt. You should pick a decent size skillet to have more room for stir-frying ingredients.
  • Wooden spatula: Using a wooden spatula is important if you’re using a non-stick skillet as the utensil prevents scratching the protective coating of the skillet.
  • Tongs: For handling the spare ribs.
  • Nylon gloves: Any gloves will work for mixing the ribs with spices, but I like nylon because they’re disposable after one-time use.
  • Mortar and pestle: For crushing and extracting the juice from garlic and shallot.
  • Mixing bowl or ziplock bag: Any of the two is doable for containing the marinated pork ribs.
  • Knife: Essential for cutting up vegetables and herbs.
  • Chopping board: Offers a flat, stable surface for cutting ingredients with a knife.
Suon Xao Chua Ngot Tools

What Ingredients Are Needed For Making Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

For sườn xào chua ngọt’s ingredients, you will need to prepare the seasonings properly alongside a diverse range of vegetables and spices.

For Seasoning The Spare Ribs:

  • Pork spare ribs (1.1 pounds): This cut is easier to cook and takes less time to achieve a tender texture.
  • Garlic powder, pepper, and salt: Create the base flavor and aroma for the spare ribs.
  • Red pepper powder: Adds a touch of heat while giving the ribs some colors.
  • Soy sauce, oyster sauce: For adding another layer of savoriness to the ribs.
  • Wine: Any wine should work to keep the ribs tenderized, aromatic, and moist.
  • Honey: For adding a touch of sweetness and also binding other spices.
  • Garlic and shallot juice: Extracted from crushing garlic and shallot, giving the ribs a more aromatic profile.
  • Olive oil: For keeping the ribs moist throughout the cooking process.
Suon Xao Chua Ngot Ingredients1

For The Vegetable Mix:

  • Bell pepper, tomato, onion, cucumber: Each vegetable adds a layer of texture and flavor when paired with the ribs.
  • Pineapple (½ pound of a pineapple): Add a juicy bite with a sweet and sour flavor to the mix.
  • Parsley (1.8 ounces): For adding an aromatic note at the end of the cooking process.

For The Stir-fry Seasonings:

  • Minced garlic and shallot (½ ounce): You can reuse the crushed garlic and shallot after extracting the juice using a mortar and pestle.
  • Soup powder (½ teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon): Depending on your taste bud, sugar, and soup powder should bring the flavor to a balance.
  • Fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce each): These sauces bring a savory touch as well as give the vegetables a glossy coating.
  • Vinegar: Adding a touch of vinegar can brighten your dish with a slightly sour taste.
Suon Xao Chua Ngot Ingredients2

How To Make Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

Here’s how you can easily make sườn xào chua ngọt at home. Following these cooking steps, from preparing the ingredients, marinating, and frying the ribs to stir-frying them for an indulging creation. Note that you can adjust the seasoning quantity to suit your taste bud better.

Step 1: Prepare The Ingredients

Wash the vegetables and leave them aside for draining.

As for the cucumber and bell pepper, remove their centers and slice them into bite-sized pieces. Also, cut the onion, pineapple, and parsley into small pieces. Remember, the tomato is best quartered.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 1 Prepare1

Next, use the mortar and pestle to crush shallots and garlic with a bit of water. Extract the juice from the crushed shallot and garlic to save for the stir-frying step.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 1 Prepare2

Step 2: Marinate The Spare Ribs

Marinate the ribs with the extracted juice of garlic and shallot, salt, red pepper powder, garlic powder, ground pepper, wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and honey.

Mix the concoction thoroughly and let the ribs sit in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 2 Marinate Ribs

Step 3: Fry The Ribs

Heat up the olive oil in your non-stick skillet and fry the marinated ribs. Ideally, you want to fry each rib side at medium heat for a beautiful yellow color. Make sure to use the ribs frequently to prevent burning.

Then, you can gradually reduce the heat and cover the skillet with a lid for around 10 minutes to achieve a tender texture.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 3 Fry Ribs1

After getting a tender texture, transfer the ribs to paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 3 Fry Ribs2

Step 4: Stir-fry The Vegetables And Ribs

Heat up the olive oil to stir-fry the crushed shallot and garlic for an aromatic profile. Proceed to stir-fry the cut onion, tomato, and pineapple quickly. Then, you want to add sliced bell pepper and cucumber.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs1
Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs2

Then, season and mix the vegetable mixture with fish sauce, soup powder, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili sauce.

Continue to transfer the fried spare ribs into the vegetable skillet and mix well for around 2- 3 minutes so the sauce can coat the ribs.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs3

Add chopped parsley over the mixture after turning off the heat.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs4
Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs5

Step 5: Assemble The Dish

Assemble the stir-fried sweet and sour pork ribs over a plate, and garnish the recipe with sprinkles of onion or parsley.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Outro

What Are Tips And Tricks For Making Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

While making sườn xào chua ngọt, you should pay attention to the frying process. The idea is to give the spare ribs a crunchy golden brown outside, so you need to flip the ribs often to avoid burning.

Plus, using the extracted juice of garlic and shallot has its own merits, as you can get the fragrant aroma to infuse into the meat without having any burnt bits. Another detail is in the vegetables, as you need to drain them to avoid any excess water from diluting the seasoning.

In addition, I’ll let you in on some secrets about storing sườn xào chua ngọt, along with a couple more exciting Vietnamese dishes to try.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot2

How To Store Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt?

Commonly, sườn xào chua ngọt is best consumed within a day for the best flavor. However, you can also transfer any leftovers into a sealed container or cover the plate using a food wrapper to store in the refrigerator.

This method will let you extend the expiration date to another day. To reheat the dish, you can simply stir-fry the dish again before serving.

Will You Have Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt For Your Next Meal?

The simple combination of tender spare ribs and vibrant vegetables is simply irresistible in a recipe like sườn xào chua ngọt. For that, I suggest giving this Vietnamese specialty a try while learning new ways of using common ingredients.

If you think this post is helpful, please share the recipe with people around you so they can get a taste of Vietnamese cooking. Also, you can leave a comment and tell me your thoughts about the dish.

Suon Xao Chua Ngot Recipe

Sườn Xào Chua Ngọt Recipe (Vietnamese Sweet And Sour Pork)

Sink your teeth into Vietnamese sweet and sour pork, a stir-fry dish that goes by the name sườn xào chua ngọt in Vietnamese. The specialty will instantly grab your attention with a vibrant appeal.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: Suon Xao Chua Ngot, Vietnamese Sweet And Sour Pork
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Dietary Preference: Dairy-Free
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 357kcal

Equipment

  • Non-stick skillet
  • Wooden spatula
  • Tongs
  • Nylon gloves
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Mixing bowl or ziplock bag
  • Knife
  • Chopping Board

Ingredients

For Marinating The Spare Ribs:

  • 1.1 pounds spare ribs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon wine
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Extracted juice of garlic and shallot
  • Olive oil

The Vegetable Mix:

  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • ½ pound pineapple
  • 1.8 ounces parsley

The Seasonings:

  • ½ ounce garlic and shallot
  • ½ teaspoon soup powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Instructions 

  • Wash the vegetables, then cut the cucumber and bell pepper, remove seeds. Then, slice the onion, pineapple, and parsley into bite-sized pieces. As for the tomato, you should quarter it.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 1 Prepare1
  • Use your mortar and pestle to crush the garlic and shallot with a little bit of water to extract the fragrant juice. Save the remaining garlic and shallot carcass for stir-frying.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 1 Prepare2
  • Marinate ribs in garlic and shallot juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper powder, wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and honey for 30 minutes.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 2 Marinate Ribs
  • Fry ribs in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown, flipping to prevent burning. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 3 Fry Ribs1
  • Transfer the ribs over paper towels to remove any excess oil.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 3 Fry Ribs2
  • Stir-fry the shallot and garlic before adding the cut onion, pineapple, and tomato.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs1
  • Quickly stir the ingredients around the skillet, then continue to add the bell pepper and cucumber.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs2
  • Season vegetables with fish sauce, soup powder, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili sauce. Stir well. Add fried ribs and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until coated in sauce.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs3
  • Add a sprinkle of parsley.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs4
  • Stir-fry for another 1 – 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Step 4 Stir Fry Vegetables Ribs5
  • Assemble the dish over a plate and add a sprinkle of parsley, a few slices of chili, or green onion for serving.
    Suon Xao Chua Ngot Outro

Video

Notes

  • The recipe is based on 4 servings.
  • You should remove the seeds from the cucumber so the vegetable doesn’t produce too much water when stir-fried.
  • Using the extracted juice of garlic and shallot to marinate the ribs is better, as using these aromatics directly can lead to burnt bits when frying the ribs.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 2110mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2587IU | Vitamin C: 92mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg
Richie

Richie

Content Writer

Expertise

Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert

Education

Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  • Program: Diploma in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Vietnamese and Asian cuisines with intensive training and hands-on approach.

Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam

  • Program: Bartender
  • Focus: Basic knowledge on how to store, preserve and select ingredients, and practice cocktails, mocktails, hot and cold drinks.

Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.

Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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