Title: Small, Shanghai Style Sweet and Sour Ribs
Categories: Chinese
Yield: 1 Servings

I serve it with steamed rice and a bowl of chopped up scallions (chopped fairly fine) and individual bowls of hot mustard, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and maybe some spiced salt and hot pepper oil. Dip a rib in the sauce of your choice, then into the bowl of scallions and enjoy. (The scallions cut some of the richness of the ribs and add a nice fresh touch.) Great with beer and a side plate of sliced Thousand Year Eggs.

Spiced salt can be made by crushing about a teaspoon of black or Szechuan peppercorn and toasting them in a dry skillet with two teaspoons of salt until the pepper is fragrant and slightly browned.

3 pounds pork spareribs, cut across bones into 1 1/2 inch lengths Peanut oil for deep frying 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup Chinese rice vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Rinse and dry ribs; then cut apart. Heat about 3 cups oil in a wok. When very hot, add ribs in small batches and fry until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and soy sauce. Remove oil from wok; return wok to stove and turn heat to high. When hot, add vinegar mixture. Cook, stirring, over high heat until syrupy. Add ribs; toss in the mixture until well coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From a column by Bruce Cost, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/20/88.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg April 22 1990.

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