Sweet and sour ribs 糖醋å°æŽ’, tang cu xiao pai is a famous Shanghai dish that is intended as an appetizer and served cold. The authentic sweet and sour pork is quite difficult to replicate at home. The ribs are lightly marinated and coated with cornstarch, then deep fried quickly to get a crispy surface without cooking through. Then the sweet and sour sauce is quickly cooked and reduced in hot oil. In the end, the ribs are added back for a quick stir fry like a few seconds to coat the sauce and just get them cooked through. It might sounds like an easy dish, but the actual process is quite daunting.