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Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs (1)

Sweet and Sour Ribs with Pineapple – Just Like Takeout!

These crispy pork ribs are coated in a glossy sweet and sour sauce with pineapple, tomato, and cucumber. Easy to make at home with everyday ingredients—better than takeout!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients:

  • 600 g pork ribs cut into 3cm pieces

Marinade:

  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 egg

Fruity Vegetables:

  • 1 tomato diced
  • 150 g pineapple about 1/4 of a pineapple, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 1/4 cucumber deseeded and diced

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 3 tsp ketchup
  • 3 tsp white vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 80 ml water

Others:

  • 500 ml cooking oil about 50ml actually used for frying
  • Cornstarch as needed for coating the ribs

Instructions
 

Marinate the Ribs

  • Place the drained pork ribs in a bowl. Add 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly with your hands until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes(or 15 minutes at room temperature if short on time).

Prep the Vegetables

  • Dice the tomato, pineapple, and cucumber(remove the seeds from the cucumber before dicing).

Fry the Ribs (Key Step!)

  • Remove any ginger slices from the marinated ribs. Coat each piece evenly in cornstarch, gently pressing to help it stick. Shake off any excess.
  • Heat oil in a deep pan to 160°C(medium heat). You'll know it's ready when a chopstick inserted into the oil causes small bubbles to form around it.
  • Fry the ribs on medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Remove and drain the oil.

Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • In a bowl, combine ketchup, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and water. Mix well.

Stir-Fry and Coat the Ribs

  • Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Add diced tomato and cook until it releases juice. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and bring it to a simmer until thickened.
  • Add the fried ribs, pineapple, and cucumber. Toss everything together quickly, stir-frying for about 1 minute until evenly coated. Serve hot.
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