When I was growing up, my mother used to make this dish, and my favorite part always scooped the perfect sweet and savory sauce on the hot jasmine rice-sometimes I don't even eat ribs! The secret to keeping the sauce from getting too greasy is nước màu (Vietnamese caramel sauce), which has a black and smoky taste after cooking, with a hint of bitterness.

Season the ribs lightly with salt. Adjust the multi-function electric pressure cooker to high frying level and add vegetable oil. Once it is sparkling but not smoking, add one-third of the ribs, slightly brown on both sides, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a large plate, and brown the remaining ribs in two batches.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add coconut water and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape off the brown part of the bottom of the pot. Add caramel, fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and stir to combine. Put all the ribs back into the pot; the sauce won't cover all the meat, it's okay. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines to lock the lid and set it to high pressure cooking for 13 minutes (the cooker needs 10 to 12 minutes to reach pressure before it starts cooking).

After the pressure cooking cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's quick release guide and wait for the pressure to be completely released; unlock and remove the lid. Skim the excess fat from the top of the sauce, then switch to the high stir-fry setting. Boil the sauce and cook until it is reduced by about one-third and thickens slightly, about 15 minutes, gently stirring the meat occasionally. Take out and reserve 12 ounces of ribs for use in the steamed cabbage, mushroom, and ribs recipe.

Transfer the remaining ribs and sauce to a large plate, sprinkle with more black pepper and sliced ​​green onions. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and cucumber slices.

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water, then heat over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop stirring and continue to cook the syrup, rotating the pan occasionally until it turns dark and dark brown, similar to soy sauce, and the mixture starts to smoke, 7 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat immediately and remove the pan from the top of the hot stove. Carefully pour 2 tablespoons of water (the mixture will splash). Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula to stir the caramel until it is completely smooth. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, then transfer the caramel to a small heatproof bowl.

Let the caramel cool to room temperature (it will thicken after cooling), then cover and refrigerate until ready for use, up to 5 days. Return to room temperature before use.

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