I recently gave my Vietnamese braised pork ribs a twist by adding leftover pineapple chunks I found in the fridge and made Sườn Heo Kho Khóm. For this recipe, I simply added pineapple chunks to my Braised Pork Spare Ribs recipe.
The juicy and sweet pineapple chunks gave this already delicious Vietnamese savory braised dish a tropical, fruity, sweet, and sour touch, and is pretty good! I think adding sliced jalapenos woulda given it a yummy spicy kick as well, but the Thai chilies worked great.
Are you a fan of pineapples in savory foods?
Ingredients:
2 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into 1-inch bite-size pieces
2 can of Quail Eggs, water removed
8 ounces pineapple chunks
1/3 cup of fish sauce, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can Coco Rico Soda or coconut juice
1 cup warm water
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped to 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Steps:
Parboil Ribs – Add ribs to a medium pot and cover ribs with water. Bring the pot to a vigorous boil for 10 minutes. Remove ribs from pot and wash each piece thoroughly.
Marinate Ribs – Add ribs, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper, caramel color, minced shallot, and minced garlic into a medium bowl and mix well. Allow ribs to marinate for at least an hour.
Braise Protein – Heat braising pot on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add ribs plus juices. Sear ribs for 2 minutes on each side. Add quail eggs, pineapple chunks, Coco Rico soda, and water. Make sure ribs are covered with braising liquid, if not add a bit more water to cover the ribs. Give everything in the pan a quick stir. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Braise for an hour. After an hour, increase the heat to medium and simmer the ribs uncovered for about 15 minutes until the liquid reduces to your desired consistency. Turn off heat and gently combine the green onions with the ribs.
Tips:
- For a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water and adding it into the braising liquid at the end of the cook.
- If you do not have caramel color, substitute for molasses or dark soy sauce. You can skip this ingredient also if you like, but it won’t look dark.
- I use store-bought Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce. You can find online recipes and make them yourself. Here’s a sample.
- Coco Rico soda and coconut water are great substitutes for coconut juice.
- The quail eggs are very delicate so remember to always gently stir so eggs do not fall apart.
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