Traditional Vietnamese Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs with Fish Sauce (Sườn Chiên Sả)

Traditional Vietnamese Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs (Sườn Chiên Sả)

I recently returned from a week-long trip to Oahu Hawaii, and boy did I miss my kitchen. I craved for Vietnamese food when I unlocked the front door. Usually, I opt for caramelized catfish (Cá Kho) and sweet and sour tamarind soup (canh chua) immediately after a trip but then realized I didn’t have all the ingredients, and I wasn’t about to go to the grocery store.

Luckily, I have a life-long supply of pork ribs from Costco in the garage freezer, and it was long overdue to update my old recipe of Vietnamese pan-fried pork ribs (Sườn Chiên). Unlike the first recipe which was to make an authentic dish without too much fuss, I chose the more traditional route this time. I’m adding fish sauce, sugar, and a ton more aromatics, especially when I noticed that my lemongrass was thriving after a week of neglect. Just look at that beauty below!

My first successful lemongrass harvest. I was so excited to see my lemongrass thriving without my help! Does this method work with kids?

Like most of my traditional home cooking recipes, this recipe came together in under 30 minutes. The pork was tender and the smell was to die for. I served the fried pork riblets with steamed rice and a side of Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Minced Shrimp (Canh Bí Đỏ Nấu Tôm Băm), which also came together in under 30 minutes. Dinner was cooked and served, and I got the rest of the night off complaining about being bored and thinking of my next trip.

Recipe below. Happy cooking!

Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs (Sườn Chiên Sả) with Kabocha Squash/Pumpkin and Shrimp Soup (Canh Bí Đỏ Nấu Tôm)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Traditional Vietnamese Fried Lemongrass Pork Ribs (Suon Chien Sa)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

2 lbs pork spare ribs
2 teaspoons sea salt (optional for cleaning)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon ground black pepper and a sprinkle as garnish
½ teaspoon baking soda (meat tenderizer)
3 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon minced)
1 stalk lemongrass (about 2 tablespoons minced)
1 small shallot (about 1 tablespoon minced)
2 heaping tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 scallion/green onion (optional; slice thin)

Instructions

Optional but recommended: Remove the outer membrane of the pork. It's typically only on one side. Start off by tearing or cutting a small piece then pull the rest off with your hands. It can get slippery. If so, use a paper towel for a better grip. Clean the pork by giving it a good rub down with salt. This helps get rid of any foul pork smell and surface residue. Rinse the ribs under cold running water to wash off salt then drain or pat dry. You can alternatively use cooking wine, vinegar, lime/lemon juice, or any combination of these.
Cut the pork: Cut in-between the bones into long single rib pieces, then use a sharp meat cleaver/butcher knife to hack each rib into bite-size 2-inch segments. Have confidence in your hacking skill to have clean cuts. Otherwise, you will have small pieces of bone fragments. Be careful of those fingers.
In a medium-size bowl, ribs with chicken/mushroom bouillon stock powder, sugar, fish sauce, ground black pepper, baking soda, garlic, and lemongrass for at least 1 hour minutes or overnight in the fridge for better results.
In a large 12-skillet with a lid, heat vegetable oil on medium-high. Pan fry spare ribs until golden brown on all sides (about 5 minutes).
Add water (½ cup), cover skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Remove lid and continue to pan-fry until excess moisture is gone.
Garnish with sliced green onion/scallion and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper and serve.