Braised Pork Ribs in Caramel Sauce Recipe (Suon Kho)

Without fail each year, I make this Vietnamese kho recipe - small pieces of pork ribs that have been marinated, seared then simmered in a savory-sweet sauce. Called sườn kho, this braised pork ribs in caramel sauce recipe comes from my mom. I’ve first wrote about it in Saveur magazine and then included it in my first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. It’s a celebration dish.

My mom’s northern Vietnamese family prepared the dish for their month-long Tet festivities. An entire pig was slaughtered for the celebration, and all the parts were turned in to delicious foods - charcuterie, soup broth, and banh chung sticky rice cakes, for example. The ribs were also cooked in a traditional Viet way.

What is Kho?

Kho refers to foods that have been stewed or simmered. There’s classic bo kho beef stew with tomato and lemongrass and star anis. But the iconic, homey Viet renditions of kho ("caw" like the sound a crow makes) involve a bittersweet caramel sauce, which you can easily make yourself. I included a recipe in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and Vietnamese Food Any Day. There’s also a blog post plus a video on VWK for making it, too. The caramel sauce is a staple for Vietnamese cooking.

Dishes that have been cooked as a kho keep well. They’re meant to be eaten over days, reheating well. That’s why this braised pork ribs in caramel sauce recipe is perfect for Tet, a time when everyone is supposed to relax, rather than slave in the kitchen.

Marinate, Sear, Simmer

Most kho, like the pork belly one on this site or the pork shoulder and eggs with coconut juice in Vietnamese Food Any Day are simply simmered. This one involves a little more care but the marinating, searing and simmering builds layers of complex flavor and texture.

If the weather is good, grill the ribs. I broiled mine this year and there was a little fire I had to put out (watch the grease!).

Instant Pot vs. Stovetop

The original recipe published in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen in 2006 was a straight-up simmer on the stove. For this recipe, I updated it a bit by using the Instant Pot. It didn’t save a ton of time BUT, you can skim the fat quite easily because the pressure cooker never boils. The clear fat floats at the top and can be removed easily with a thin-lipped ladle.

For Tet, you’d serve these ribs along with banh chung sticky rice cakes and whatever else you fancy. It’s great on rice too. It’s also fine made any time of the year. But around Tet, the ribs always grace my table, served in ceramic bowl made in Bat Trang village in northern Vietnam. I bought it long ago during my travels and use it during Tet to underscore my roots.

Whether or not you’re Viet or have fancy dishware, make these ribs to celebrate good cooking. Make these Viet ribs for Tet (which can last for weeks!) or any time you want fabulous Viet food.

P.S. This dish freezes beautifully! I've frozen it for say, 6 months!

Related posts

• How to cut, cook and eat banh chung
• How to make banh chung
• Red Boat Fish Sauce Pork belly in caramel sauce
• Viet Caramel Sauce (Nước Màu) Recipe Video