Sweet-And-Sour 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
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
- 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.
- 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.