Pork ears soaked in sweet and sour sauce is the flavor of the Lunar New Year. The sour taste combined with the sweet helps to alleviate the heaviness of traditional Tet dishes, and the section into the kitchen will guide you through 3 ways to make sweet and sour pork ears that are addictive, preventing boredom during these days.
1. Pork ears soaked in vinegar
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Pork ears soaked in vinegar Serves 3
Pork ears 1 piece Vinegar 1 cup Water 1/2 cup Sugar 3 tablespoons Fish sauce 1 tablespoon
How to prepare Pork ears soaked in vinegar
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Boil the pork ears
Wash the pork ears with salt. Then, put them in a pot to boil with 1 crushed onion, a little crushed garlic, a piece of crushed ginger, a pinch of pepper, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and a little fish sauce.
Drop the pork ears in and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to low heat. After boiling for about 15 minutes, use chopsticks to turn the bottom side so that the pork ears cook evenly, boil for another 5 – 10 minutes.
Once cooked, take the pork ears out and soak them in ice water for about 10 minutes to make them crispy.
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Pickling solution preparation
Combine 2 bowls of vinegar, 1.5 bowls of sugar with 1/3 tablespoon of salt, bring to a boil until fully dissolved, then let it cool.
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Pickling the pig ears
Cut the pig ears, thinly slice garlic and shallots, and chop fresh chili into small pieces or leave them whole as desired.
Place the pig ears in a glass jar alternately with sliced shallots, garlic, fresh chili, and pepper.
Finally, pour the vinegar-sugar solution into the jar so that the pig ears are submerged in the vinegar, put it in the refrigerator, cover tightly, and let it pickle for 2-3 days before enjoying.
2. Pig ears pickled with lemongrass and kumquat
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Pig ears pickled with lemongrass and kumquat Serves 3
Pig ears (cartilage part) 1 piece Lemongrass 4 stalks Chili 1 piece Garlic 6 cloves Kumquat 7 pieces
How to make Pork Ear Pickled with Lemongrass and Sweet-Sour Kumquat
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Prepare the pickling liquid
Boil water with vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce for about 5 – 10 minutes, seasoning a little stronger than usual. Then turn off the heat and let it cool.
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Boil the pork ear
Wash the pork ear thoroughly, boil it with garlic and lemongrass to eliminate odors for about 20 minutes.
After boiling, remove the pork ear and soak it in ice for about 10 minutes.
Slice the pork ear into pieces about 0.5 cm thick.
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Cut lemongrass, kumquat, garlic, and chili
Slice the lemongrass into thin long pieces. Cut the kumquat crosswise into thirds to avoid crushing. Peel and slice the garlic thinly. Slice the chili into thin rounds.
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Pickle the pork ear
Add the pork ear, lemongrass, kumquat, garlic, and chili into a clean plastic or glass jar, and gently stir to mix.
Pour the cooled or slightly warm pickling liquid until it covers the surface.
Then, place it in the refrigerator to marinate for about half a day or a day before it’s ready to eat.
3. Sweet and Sour Pickled Pork Ears
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Pickled Pork Ears For 6 people
Pork ears 2 pieces Carrots 2 pieces White cabbage 2 pieces Lemongrass 2 stalks Ginger 1 piece Rice vinegar 300 ml Water 100 ml Salt 50 grams MSG 1 teaspoon Garlic 4 cloves Shallots 4 pieces
How to Make Sweet and Sour Pickled Pork Ears
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Boil the pork ears
Pork ears, after purchasing, clean the hair, then use salt and lemon to scrub clean, and rinse with clean water. Cut the 2 stalks of lemongrass in half and crush them, and slice the ginger into pieces.
In a pot of boiling water, add ginger, lemongrass, and 1 full tablespoon of salt along with the pork ears to boil, turning every 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pork ears and place them in a bowl of ice cold water.
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Make the soaking liquid and cut the ingredients
Combine 300ml of rice vinegar, 100ml of filtered water, 350 grams of sugar, 50 grams of salt, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate in a pot and bring to a boil, then let it cool. Clean the carrots and white radish, peel them, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Slice the chili peppers at an angle; leave half of the bird’s eye chili whole, and slice the other half lengthwise, removing the seeds. Peel and slice the garlic and shallots. Remove the pig’s ears and slice them along the grain.
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Soak the pig’s ears
Once the vinegar and sugar mixture has cooled, add the ingredients and mix well to absorb the flavors, then transfer everything into a clean jar, arranging it nicely; add the green pepper, seal tightly, and store in the refrigerator for about 1 – 2 days before consuming. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
You can enjoy the pig’s ears with boiled shrimp, shrimp crackers, Vietnamese coriander, fried onions, and sweet fish sauce, or eat them on their own as well.
How to choose good pig’s ears
You should choose pig’s ears that are bright in color, fairly firm to the touch, and not mushy.
Note:
- Do not boil them too long, as overcooking will make the pig’s ears slimy when soaked in vinegar.
- When soaking, make sure the soaking liquid covers the pig’s ears completely to prevent them from going moldy.
- The vinegar you use can be homemade or store-bought, but it must be clean and from a clear source.
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Through this article, you have learned about 3 ways to make sweet and sour pig ears that are addictive and help avoid boredom during Tet, right? I hope you can make the dish you love!
