Prep: 5

Cook: 1 45

Marinating 3

Total: 4 50

Servings: 6 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian fusion

Label: Pork ribs

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Connie’s notes

Soda… We call it soft drink in the Philippines. Some people drink it with meals like it’s a substitute for water. Not a satisfactory substitute in my opinion but, for marinating or braising meat, I choose soda over water.

Why soda?

Two things:

Flavor (I especially love lemon-lime sodas)
Phosphoric acid (a component of soda that breaks down proteins and tenderizes meat)

Despite the name I gave this dish, and while lemon-lime soda contributes a lot to the final flavor of the sauce, you need to do more than pour a can or a bottle of soda over the meat.

The pork ribs

The ribs used here are about two inches long. I bought them pre-cut. Small pieces are favored in many Chinese dishes because the size is ideal for picking up with chopsticks. Your ribs don’t have to be cut to the same size. Just get a rack of ribs, cut between the bones and cook. But if you want shorter pieces and can’t get them precut, ask your butcher to cut the ribs through the bones. Machine slicing means cleaner cuts with no shards.

Marinating the pork ribs is crucial

You have two options here:

Use dry rub on the ribs and let them sit overnight in the fridge, and mix the sauce with the soda as a braising liquid.
Alternatively, you may mix the sauce with the soda, marinate the ribs in it and use the marinade as a braising liquid.

I chose the first option. Why? Because I like browning meat before braising. Had I marinated the ribs with the soda, I’d have to strain the ribs and pat them dry to remove surface moisture which is the enemy of browning. Then, there’s the sugar from the that the meat soaks up while marinating. Sugar burns fast and that would have made browning a bit trickier.

So, it’s option number one for me. If you’re wondering if not marinating in soda means not utilizing its meat-tenderizing properties, well, braising is a form and low and slow cooking which means the meat will be sitting in soda for at least and hour and a half. And that’s long enough to get moist and tender pork ribs.

Ingredients

1 kilogram pork ribs (2.2 pounds) cut through the bones into two-inch lengths
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

Sauce

500 ml soda (16.9 fl oz) 7-Up, Sprite or Mountain Dew
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon grated ginger with the juice

To brown and braise

cooking oil
6 cloves garlic pounded and peeled
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon starch corn, potato or cassava

To garnish

sliced scallions
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Rinse the pork ribs, drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Place the ribs in a bowl, toss in the lemon pepper seasoning, cover and leave in the fridge for at least three hours or up to overnight.
Take the ribs out of the fridge and dump into a colander lined with paper towels. Take a second stack of paper towels, press on top of the ribs and weight down with a plate or bowl.
Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.
Coat the bottom and sides of a wok or pan with oil and heat.
Spread the ribs on the hot oil, leave for the undersides to brown, stir and cook with occasional stirring until the edges are just starting to bown.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat has lost all pinkness.
Pour in the sauce, and drizzle in the Sriracha and Worcestershire sauce.
When the braising liquid boils, lower the heat cover and simmer. Taste every 15 to 20 minutes and add salt or pepper, or both, if needed.
The dish is done when the sauce has reduced to about half a cup and the meat is tender. If the sauce dries up before the meat is done, add half a cup of water, cook until reduced, and repeat until the meat is tender.
Dissolve the starch in a tablespoon of water, drizzle over the ribs, stir and cook until the sauce is thick and clear.
Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds before serving with rice.