In China, people often distinguish themselves as Southerners (南方人) or Northerners (北方人). It’s a question you’ll get often in taxis or first meetings. The biggest distinguishing features for us, anyway, are the regional cuisines. Southern cuisine is roughly more delicate, refined and sometimes sweeter in taste, while northern cuisine is a bit heavier and stronger in flavor. In the south, rice is the staple, while in the north, it’s all about the bread (mantou, pancakes, etc.) and noodles.
Shanghai Sweet and Sour Ribs (tang cu pai gu, 糖醋排骨) is a signature southern dish. The delicate balance of the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar makes this dish a very popular appetizer, which is often served cold. Appetizers in China are usually called “冷菜,” which translates to “cold dishes.” They’re all served cold or at room temperature, and there’s a vast variety of different kinds.
While I was making this dish today, I tasted it when it was hot, and it was GOOD. But we had it for dinner at room temperature, and it was astonishing how the temperature changes and intensifies the flavor. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, but this tang cu pai gu recipe exceeded my own expectations by a mile.
Usually, this Shanghai Sweet and Sour Ribs (tang cu pai gu) dish is made with rib pieces about 1-inch to 2-inches long. You can definitely ask your butcher to help with this, or you could even use baby back ribs. There are really no rules.
You’ll need:
- 2 lbs pork ribs
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine), divided
- 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 8 thin slices of ginger
- 4 scallions (white parts only), chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar (rock sugar is preferred if you have it)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 2 cups water
- toasted sesame seeds, optional
Rinse the ribs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Marinate the ribs with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine for 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a flat bottomed pan over medium heat and brown the ribs on all sides. Set aside.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in a clean wok over medium heat, and cook the ginger and scallions until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Take them out of the wok and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil, and with the wok on low heat, add the sugar. Stir and let it melt.
Add the ribs and coat them with the melted sugar. Turn off the heat.
Add the second tablespoon of shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar, water, and the cooked ginger and scallion. Turn up the heat and bring everything to a boil. Then cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. After 30 minutes, if there’s still too much liquid in the pot, take off the lid and turn up the heat, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened and the ribs are coated and sticky.
It’s best to serve these ribs at room temperature. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Mix the sauce with some rice, top with a couple ribs, and you’ll have heaven in a bowl. Enjoy, and remember to share!
Shanghai Sweet and Sour Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork ribs (900g)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine (divided)
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 8 thin slices ginger
- 4 scallions (white parts only, chopped)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (rock sugar is preferred if you have it)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 2 cups water
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Clean the ribs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Marinate the ribs with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a flat bottomed pan over medium heat and brown the ribs on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in a clean wok over medium heat, and cook the ginger and scallions until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Take them out of the wok and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil, and with the wok on low heat, add the sugar. Stir and let it melt. Add the ribs and coat them with the melted sugar. Turn off the heat.
- Add the second tablespoon of shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar, water, and the cooked ginger and scallion. Turn up the heat and bring everything to a boil. Then cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. After 30 minutes, if there's still too much liquid in the pot, take off the lid and turn up the heat, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened and the ribs are coated and sticky.
- It's best to serve these ribs at room temperature. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Niki says
Hi, is it necessary to par-boiled the ribs first to get rid of that “meaty” smell? I notice other recipes requires that step but yours don’t.
Judy says
Hi Niki, no need to par-boil ribs when frying or pan-frying in this case :-)
Michael says
Oops forgot to rate it previously
Michael says
This recipe is so so good. Followed instructions and success first time.
Judy says
Great! So glad you liked it.
Di says
Just made this, it definitely taste better at room temperature! Thank-you for the recipe!
Judy says
I agree :-)
Elsie says
I put in 2 cups water per the recipe and there is still so much liquid. The ribs are pale and not dark as in the picture and I don’t think any amount of boiling will make the sauce sticky. Where did I go wrong?
Judy says
Hi Elsie, did you use a wok? A wok has a thinner bottom, which cooks off liquid very fast. It just sounds like you need to turn up the heat slightly. Higher heat reduces and thickens the liquid. As for the dark color, it depends on the dark soy sauce. Some dark soy sauce brands are just not that dark. We use Pearl River Bridge dark soy sauce.
Elsie says
Thank you. I was using a regular flat bottom pan. I boiled for 10-15 minutes with the ribs and then took out the ribs for fear of overcooking, then boiled the sauce for another 20-30 minutes, and it eventually did thicken. And my mom (who was born in Taiwan) said it was delicious! Thanks!
Judy says
Love that your mom approves of it :-)
Charlotte says
This is exactly what we did, because we were using a cast iron pan. We put the ribs back in for about five minutes, as an additional step to get the sauce to adhere during cooking time.
Thanks for the great comments and tips!
Emily says
When I tried making this recipe tonight, it came out very bland–i feel like the ratio of 2c water with everything else diluted all of the flavor? Did I do something wrong? This reminds me of my mom’s ribs, which I also could never duplicate for similar reasons. Would it be wrong to up the soy sauce, wine, and sugar in the final simmer by 3-5x?
Judy says
Hi Emily, I was wondering if your sauce has been thickened, so the ribs are coated and sticky with sauce. The taste will be bland if there is too much liquid at the end.
Emily says
Admittedly, I didn’t add the vinegar, and I didn’t reduce the sauce to the point that it got sticky. I left it uncovered and boiling after the initial 30-min simmer for about another 20-30min; the sauce didn’t fully reduce so I thought to turn off the stove. Should I have kept going?
Judy says
Hi Emily, I suggest that you follow the recipe exactly to get the full “effect” :-)
Brianna Burkett says
I am making it for the first time tonight!
I have looked long and hard for a “brown” sweet and sour recipe. I really don’t care for the cantonese style, but I love the brown ones. Thank you for sharing! I am excited!
Judy says
HI Brianna, hope you enjoy this recipe.
George says
This recipe is excellent. I’ve cooked it many times and – so far – it has turned out well every time.
Judy says
Thank you, George, for making this recipe so many times! I thought this awesome dish had been forgotten :-(
Jenny says
Can I use pork belly instead ?
Judy says
Hi Jenny, although I have never tried it, I don’t see why not. You might have to increase the cooking time. Check my Shanghai Braised Pork Belly recipe as a reference.