From a young age, my parents had interwoven fragments of Chinese culture and cuisine into my daily life. My mother always prepared our meals with a hint of traditional tastes and spices, light reminders of my distant family and heritage that surprisingly always elicited a deep sense of nostalgia in my heart. It was strange: despite my infrequent contact with the mainland, there were moments where I, caught up in my mother’s sweet songs and the soothing aroma of soy sauce, felt that I had always been and belonged in China. As if while watching my mother make dumplings on a cold winter morning, the rest of my family was right there next to us. This semblance of nostalgia lingered on in the Chinese foods that my mother learned to master over the years, imbued in the cold dishes, desserts, and hotpots that our family frequently indulged in. Among those, one recipe of my mother’s that filled me with endless joy and comfort was her 糖醋排骨—sugar-vinegar ribs.
My mother’s recipe for this dish has been refined numerous times throughout my life. After I asked her for the recipe to write this article, she went back and made it all over again, recounting all her culinary expertise into an updated rendition of this dish that would be better than the last. As she explains, the trick to making a delicious 糖醋排骨 is the delicate balance of sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. When you bite into the ribs, you should taste a colorful explosion of diverse flavors on your tongue: the sauce’s caramelized sugar laying a perfect backdrop for the blend of sour vinegar and nutty soy sauce. Every time she places a plate of her ribs before me, I am reminded of her tireless efforts in striving for perfection. If anything, it makes me love her signature dish more.
However, 糖醋排骨 has a special place in my heart not just for its flavor; the dish holds personal significance because of what it represents and what it has helped me realize. Like me, 糖醋排骨 was always a unique presence in the United States. When I used to bring the ribs to school for lunch, my classmates always glanced at me in disgust—they had never encountered food that was so potent and aromatic. When I was eating 糖醋排骨, I was treated like an alien. I had thought that, pressured by embarrassment and fear, my love for the dish and my unique heritage would never be strong enough to overpower my classmates’ petty prejudices.
Yet I soon discovered that this deviation from the norm only made 糖醋排骨 even more indispensable to me in my elementary school years, despite what everyone at school would think. My mother’s special recipe, the union of the marinated ribs with the ginger and scallions, and the dish’s inherent taste of home—all these qualities made me recognize that I was unique, but never alone. They empowered me to be proud of and embody my Chinese identity. Most of all, the dish made me realize that the opinions of my classmates meant nothing. They were and will never be any representation of the worth or quality of my mother’s cooking. Regardless of circumstance and against all odds, I will always crave my mother’s 糖醋排骨.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds pork ribs
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (divided)
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 8 slices of ginger
- 4 scallions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 2 cups water
- A handful of toasted sesame seeds
- Clean the ribs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Marinate the ribs with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine overnight, if possible. If not, marinate for as long as possible.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and brown the ribs on all sides. Set aside to rest.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat, and cook the ginger and scallions until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Take them out of the wok and set them aside to rest. Add another tablespoon of oil, and with the wok on low heat, add the brown and white sugar. Stir and let it melt. Add the ribs and coat them with melted sugar. Turn off the heat.
- Add the second tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, 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 often to prevent sticking or burning. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened and reaches a sticky consistency.
- Garnish with white toasted sesame seeds.
- Dig in!
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