Authentic Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Ribs (Sườn Ram Mặn)
A classic, deeply caramelized Vietnamese "rice thief" scaled perfectly for a hungry crowd. Three pounds of small pork riblets are massaged with a savory-sweet marinade featuring a secret touch of char siu sauce, hard-seared, and slowly simmered in coconut water until melt-in-your-mouth tender and coated in a glossy, sticky glaze.
Ingredients
For Ribs & Marinade:
- 3 lbs Pork riblets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Chicken bouillon
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce
- 2 tsp Honey
- 3 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Char Siu sauce for gloss and color
For Caramel Sauce & Braise:
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 3-4 tbsp White sugar
- 3 Shallots finely minced
- 5 cloves Garlic finely minced
- 2-3 cups Coconut water (or water)
- 2 tbsp Vietnamese chili sauce (Chin Su) for gloss and color
Garnishes:
- Green onions finely chopped
- Fresno chilies thinly sliced
Instructions
- Parboil and Clean: Throw your 3 lbs of cut pork riblets into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to lift all the scum and impurities to the surface, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water, and leave them aside for 10 minutes to dry completely.
- Marinate the Ribs: Toss the dry ribs into a large bowl and season them with salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey, black pepper, and a spoonful of Char Siu sauce, giving the meat a really good massage to lock in the flavors before covering and chilling in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
- Build the Caramel Base: Heat a splash of neutral oil in a large pan over low heat, drop in 4 to 5 tablespoons of white sugar, and leave it alone to slowly melt into a gorgeous amber caramel before immediately tossing in your minced garlic and shallots to fry until fragrant while keeping them moving so they don't burn.
- Sear, Braise, and Reduce: Drop the marinated ribs into the hot caramel pan without crowding them, sear over high heat to lock in the juices, pour in 3 cups of coconut water, and bring it to a simmer to cook covered for 15 minutes before stirring in 2 to 3 tablespoons of Vietnamese chili sauce and letting it braise uncovered for another 20 to 40 minutes until the ribs are falling-off-the-bone tender and the liquid reduces into a sticky, glossy glaze.
Notes
- Control the Caramel Heat: Garlic and shallots burn in a split second when dropped into hot sugar. Keep your eyes on the pan and keep the aromatics moving constantly the moment your sugar hits that perfect amber penny color.
- Watch for Sugar Scorching: Because this specific marinade contains honey, sugar, and Char Siu sauce, the sugars can catch on the pan easily during the flash sear. Keep things moving dynamically in the skillet so it caramelizes beautifully without scorching.
- Adjust for Tenderness: If you prefer your ribs to have a bit of a chew, 20 minutes of uncovered braising is perfect. If you want them falling-off-the-bone tender, let them go a little longer, adding a tiny splash of extra coconut water if the pan sauce reduces too quickly.