Sweet-And-Sour Pork Ribs From Titus Wang Of Delicatessen In New York City

Make these irresistible pork ribs from Titus Wang of Delicatessen in New York City

Titus Wang got his kitchen start as an intern at New York City's Annisa, where the Taiwan-born chef, who moved to New Jersey when he was 13, learned to marry classic French technique with many of the ingredients he ate as a kid.

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At Delicatessen in Manhattan, where he's now the executive sous chef, he applies that same training to the casual comfort food the restaurant serves. His recipe for sweet-and-sour pork ribs is a prime example of his cooking philosophy. The ribs are battered, flash-fried and finally doused in a sticky sauce containing pineapple, ketchup and soy sauce. They're–dare we say it–finger-licking good.

Recipe adapted from Titus Wang, Delicatessen, New York City

Sweet-And-Sour Pork Ribs
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Make these Sweet-and-Sour Pork Ribs from Delicatessen chef Titus Wang.
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
25
minutes
Servings
4
servings
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
  • Pork Ribs
  • Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
  • Large egg, 1 (lightly beaten)
  • Cornstarch, ½ cup
  • Pork spareribs, 2 pounds separated into individual ribs (about 12 ribs)
  • Canola oil, 2 cups
  • Kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons
  • Freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon
  • Sauce
  • Canned pineapple chunks with juice, one 8-ounce can pineapple chunks with juice (strain and save ¾ cup pineapple chunks plus ½ cup of the juice--save the remaining pineapple and juice to use another time)
  • Distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup
  • Granulated sugar, ¼ cup
  • Ketchup, ¼ cup
  • Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
  • Cornstarch, 1½ tablespoons
  • Vegetables
  • Canola oil, 3 tablespoons
  • Medium garlic cloves, 3 (very finely chopped)
  • Ginger, ½-inch piece (peeled using the edge of a teaspoon to scrape off the skin and very finely chopped)
  • Scallions, 3, white separated from green tops (very finely chopped)
  • Small yellow onion, 1 (finely chopped*)
  • Red bell pepper, 1 (finely chopped*)
  • Green bell pepper, 1 (finely chopped*)
  • *We recommend using the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series 16-Cup Food Processor with Commercial-Style Dicing for finely chopping the vegetables
Directions
  1. Season the pork ribs: In a medium bowl, whisk together the: 2 tablespoons soy sauce Beaten egg Then whisk in the: ½ cup cornstarch Add the: Spareribs Use tongs to turn the spareribs over in the sauce to evenly coat both sides.
  2. To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the: 2 cups canola oil Once the oil shimmers, after about 2½ minutes, carefully add: Half of the seasoned spareribs Fry until they are golden and crispy on both sides, using tongs to turn occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the ribs to a large paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the: Remaining 6 spareribs Season with the: 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3. Make the sweet-and-sour sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the: ½ cup pineapple juice ¼ cup white vinegar ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 4. Finish the dish: To a large, clean skillet set over medium heat, add the: 3 tablespoons canola oil When it starts to shimmer, after about 1½ minutes, add the: Very finely chopped garlic Very finely chopped ginger Very finely chopped scallion whites Cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Add the: Finely chopped onion Finely chopped red bell pepper Finely chopped green bell pepper Cook until the onions become lightly golden and translucent, about 4 minutes. Then stir in the: ¾ cup pineapple chunks Cook to warm the pineapple, about 1 minute. Add the: Sweet-and-sour sauce Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes, until the flavors are well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Add the: Fried pork ribs Very finely chopped scallion greens Turn to coat the ribs in the sweet-and-sour sauce and serve.
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