Developed by the ancestors of those who built our railroad
MMMMmmmm! Don’t these Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs look finger lickin’ good? Have you ever made them? Did your mom every make them when you were a child (you can only answer this if you are in your golden years!)? This was a staple recipe in our house when I grew up, but I haven’t made it for years and years and years. I can still hear the excitement and anticipation in my dad’s voice when he came home to the smell of these ribs baking in the oven. But, the ribs were the little button ribs, in those days. That was just how it was, then. This Canadian Chinese recipe for Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs was developed by the ancestors of the Chinese who build our Canadian railway from east to west. When the Canadian appeal of the traditional sweet dipping sauce was discovered, a recipe for ribs morphed into sweet and sour ribs by Chinese Restaurant owners; their traditional recipes were tweaked considerably to appeal to our palate and a whole new cuisine was born: Canadian Chinese Food. You will not find the old “Traditional Chinese (Canadian) Recipes” we have grown up with on the Canadian prairies, and from coast to coast, anywhere in China. Sweet and Sour Ribs is definitely a foreign food to our Chinese visitors. It is difficult for most to find a restaurant that serves food they would authenticate as true Chinese.
Sweet and Sour Ribs: Browning the Ribs
I am so fortunate to have my outdoor kitchen! Making these Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs is as simple as ABC or 123, but it can be very messy to brown the ribs. I just step outside for these messy bits! A little time consuming, but I get so excited with the process and the art of browning to perfection that I actually get lost in time. I don’t find it laborious at all. Ribs washed and patted dry, butter and oil on medium-high, seasoned flour: it’s that simple. Turn, turn, turn. Many of our favourite Chinese oldies: that giant heavy deep fried egg roll with plum sauce, the chowmeins and chop sueys as served only in Canada, chicken balls, almond chicken, cashew chicken are most definitely Canadian-Chinese. Yet, this is the authentic Chinese food of my childhood. The old Club Cafe in Red Deer was the place to go for a Chinese feast. It was a given that sweet and sour ribs would be the first dish dad ordered. The ribs were golden and gooey in those days, just like mine. Not the artificial bright cherry red translucent sauce that this “new era” sweet and sour ribs float in. A simple sweet and sour sauce: vinegar, sugar and water. That’s it. Pineapple was added sometime after, on occasion.
We buy our pork from Nature’s Green Acres. Some years a whole Tamworth pig, some years a half, but good “know-your-farmer pork” is the best base for any sweet and sour pork rib recipe. Just look at those succulent golden crispy ribs! How could anyone see frying up a batch of these as work? It is such a pleasure.
In the Canadian prairie homes of my childhood this was a staple recipe. Definitely a treat. Most often the meal consisted of a tossed green salad, white rice with soya sauce on the side and these ribs. Fancying it up some would mean toasting sesame seeds to top it off with. Yet, often enough, there was an entire Chinese menu when the ribs were made: stir fried vegetables, a stir fried rice, a chowmein dish, and maybe more. Homemade Canadian Chinese food was considered a rare treat. I recall coming home one day to the house filled with smoke smelling like an old greasy spoon. Mom was experimenting with making battered deep fried shrimp. Deep frying anything was scary to any prairie housewife, so she was really going out on a limb for dad. Deep fried battered shrimp was his ultimate Chinese food treat. She did onion rings at the same time. Not sure why. Maybe just killing two deep fried birds with one stone? Both were absolutely delicious. She never made either one again. The house smelled for days.
Done. I am excited. It didn’t take long to brown these ribs. The look divine. It has been so long since I have made or tasted this dish that I am salivating at the thought and finding it difficult to contain my excitement. This is our Sunday dinner. Mom, Ragan and Vanja will be so surprised. The flood of memories and sensations pulsing through my brain motivate and inspire as I begin to prepare the Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs sauce.
Of course, heading out for Chinese food “back in the day” was also a very special treat. It was an event. A special occasion. One would go to the restaurant owned by a friend, or friend of a friend. Not just anyone. The owner would greet us and treat us like royalty. Every customer was treated that way. Toasted sesame seeds and soya sauce were on the table with a plate and small bowl on the side. That was my favourite appetizer! We put the toasted seeds on the plate and the sauce in the little bowl, dipped our forks in the sauce and then in the toasted seeds which would cling to the sauce on the fork. MMMMmmmm. I didn’t care if I got any food. These toasted seeds were so addictive. Working at getting the most seeds on the least sauce was the challenge. Chewing every single seed was the next challenge. There was so much flavour in every seed. Dangers of double dipping was an unheard of issue. We all double dipped our forks in that sauce bowl.
Sweet and Sour Ribs: Making the Simple Sweet and Sour Sauce
Vinegar, sugar, water and cornstarch are the ingredients for this famous recipe. Oh, now people add soya, and ketchup or other special flavour enhancers, but not then. This was fancy enough,
The best flavour enhancer being the drippings in bottom of the pot. We always start there. Add the sugar, water, vinegar and cornstarch: stir, stir, stir.
I do believe I doubled the recipe for this batch.
Season with salt and pepper.
Sweet and Sour Ribs: Putting it all Together
To be sure there are no cornstarch lumps, I always strain the sauce through a sieve over the ribs.
Toss them all well in the sauce…
(Now that’s a money shot for Canadian Chinese Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs!)
… until completely smothered.
Sweet and Sour Ribs: Baked Ribs
Then bake for 30-40 minutes just before serving until bubbly, hot, sticky and ooey gooey. Serve over a bed of rice with extra sauce and a tossed salad on the side. If you want to go truly retro, offer up Kraft Thousand Island Dressing with the salad. Anyone with me on this? Let’s hear your memories of homemade sweet and sour ribs!
Traditional Canadian Sweet and Sour Ribs
This is a traditional Canadian Chinese recipe for Sweet and Sour Ribs that was made in home kitchens all over the Canadian prairies from the 1950's to 1970'. It is finger licken' good and easy as pie to make!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the ribs:
- 1 k ribs , individually sliced, washed and patted dry
- 1-2 cups flour , seasoned with salt and pepper (1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper)
- 1/4 cup butter , used in smaller portions
- 1/4 cup oil , used in smaller portions
Ingredients for the Sauce:
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Instructions for the ribs:
-
Divide ribs into 4 batches; flour 1/4 of the ribs thoroughly
-
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in heavy saucepan, medium to medium high heat; brown ribs on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side
-
Set aside on paper towel, as each batch is done; repeat 4 times until all ribs are golden
-
Place ribs in casserole dish; set aside
Instructions for the sauce:
-
Pre-heat oven to 350F
-
Drain fat from pan, retaining all brown bits; mix corn starch with the sugar and stir into brown bits
-
Add water and vinegar; season with salt and pepper
-
Cook for 4-6 minutes until bubbly and thick; pour over ribs in casserole dish, tossing until completely covered
-
Bake for 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly, serve immediately
Recipe Notes
Ribs can be prepared and smothered in sauce a day in advance; bake 40 minutes before mealtime (if cold from fridge) and serve immediately
Janet says
These look delicious.
Valerie Lugonja says
Ever had them, Janet?
🙂
V
Janet says
No. But they look delish.
Brendi says
Valerie, here is another old favourite I will need to make soon. These were so loved in our family and served exactly the same way as in your home, with rice and salad, although our dressing was usually my mom’s homemade vinegarettes. What a wonderful, flavourful time to grow up, with real food and simple pleasures. There are times when I wonder if I am really that old and crotchety or if the experimentation of today really is that strange: weird for weird’s sake, without actually thinking about our palettes or even tasting some of the concoctions. A bit of both perhaps but I am always willing to try new things, at least once. Brendi
Valerie Lugonja says
Brendi,
You are such a beautiful writer. I always enjoy the sharing of your memories.
Hugs
Valerie
Cindy (Radatzke) MacDonell says
These were always the best – I remember my Mom making them in that tiny tiny kitchen we had in our house in Eastview back in my Red Deer days.
Thanks for sharing!
Valerie Lugonja says
None of our kitchens seemed tiny at the time, did they, Cindy?
🙂
Valerie
Cindy says
I just had to try this tonight, no ribs in the house but made it with chicken. Fabulous. Hubby loved it.
Valerie Lugonja says
That is too much fun, Cindy.
Anything is good with sweet and sour sauce – almost, eh?
So odd that so few of us make this anymore, no. Well, I suppose not SO odd. It isn’t that healthy…. but it is homemade and a heck of a lot healthier than what most people eat at their dinner table these days.
🙂
Valerie
teresa alexander says
can i use margarine as i don,t have butter
Valerie Lugonja says
I would imagine you can, Teresa
It would taste different, but I am sure it would still “work”.
🙂
Gina says
Valerie,
I was googling and comparing recipes for sweet and sour ribs and came across yours. You totally had me with the nostalgia and I just had to make these ones. I’m in my early thirties so this recipe perhaps wasn’t quite as popular in my childhood as it was in yours. However, as soon as I started cooking them, I was transported to my Grandma’s house. She almost always made these ribs for supper the night we arrived for a visit. Rice on the side of course. I also have fond memories of going out for Chinese as a family. When I was really young, it was to the hotel in Bassano. We always ordered the special chow mein, beef and broccoli, and egg rolls. What you say about being greeted and treated like a special guest was so true. Part small town culture and part Chinese Canadian culture I think.
I invited my sister over for supper tonight, for “ribs a la Grandma Hansen.” Looking forward to eating them and remembering her. 🙂
Valerie Lugonja says
Dear Gina,
What a lovely message to open the morning to. Thank you for taking and making the time to chime in! That’s why I do what I do… love your story… how did the ribs turn out?
Happy Holidays!
🙂
Valerie
Amy C says
hi this sounds awesome! what is in the seasoned flour???
Valerie Lugonja says
Just corrected the recipe for you Amy – it was just salt and pepper!
Let me know how it goes. Sooooo goood and sooooo bad for you!
🙂
V
Sharon says
I so enjoyed reading your article! Yes I remember the excitement and anticipation of having Chinese sweet and sour ribs growing up in the sixties. I grew up in northern Alberta but moved to Red Deer in 2001. My friend Bruce used to talk about going to the Club Cafe and how great that was to dine there. I don’t remember making this dish for my kids but I’m going to attempt it this weekend and see how they like it. I think the grandkids will love it !
Valerie Lugonja says
Thanks, Sharon!
Let me know how they turn out for you! Definitely curious!
Hugs,
Valerie
jc says
I was working on the prairies in 1969 and these ar Lee’s cafe in Yorkton. Thanks for the recipev& bringing back memories
Valerie Lugonja says
Thanks for chiming in JC. Warms my heart!
🙂
Valerie