Pork spare ribs braised in soda
I’d call it 7-Up pork ribs but Sprite was used here. Almost any soda drink can be substituted but I find that the citrusy ones are best for marinating and / or braising meat.
Servings 6 people
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.
