Sweet & Sour Ribs (Tang Cu Pai Gu)

The story

Tang cu — "sugar-vinegar" — is one of the great flavor archetypes of Chinese cooking, and ribs are its proudest carrier. The sauce reduces into a lacquer that clings to everything; the technique lives or dies on the double vinegar, half mellowed in the pot, half bright at the end.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Pork ribs, chopped into 1-inch pieces (ask the butcher) — 1.5 lb / 700 g
• Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
• Black vinegar — 3 tbsp, divided
• Ginger — 3 slices
• Scallions — 1, sliced

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (2.5 tbsp), cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Brown ribs with ginger in 1 tbsp oil, 5 minutes.
2. Add soy sauce, HALF the vinegar, sugar and hot water to just cover. Simmer covered 20 minutes.
3. Uncover, raise heat, add the remaining vinegar and reduce 4–5 minutes until the sauce lacquers the ribs.
4. Scallions on top. Warning: you will eat these standing over the pot.

Swaps

Pork belly chunks or chicken wings follow the exact same clock. A splash of cola instead of half the sugar is the modern cheat.