China · Home-style
Soy-Braised Pork Ribs
Pork ribs simmered in a dark, glossy soy sauce with five-spice and a whole dried chilli until the meat falls apart. Salty with a sweet edge.
Cooking the sugar in oil rather than water gives this a deeper colour and a rounder flavour than a water-based caramel, and it is the step most likely to be rushed and burnt. The ribs simmer long enough for the sauce to penetrate right to the bone, which is what makes the pieces collapse under chopsticks. Leftover sauce kept back for reheating is worth doing rather than reducing it all away.
Ingredients
- pork ribs300 g
- five-spice powder20 g
- cooking wine10 ml
- cooking oil30 ml
- white sugar15 g
- dark soy sauce10 ml
- light soy sauce10 ml
- oyster sauce5 ml
- bird's eye chili1 pieces
- ginger2 pieces
Directions
- 1
Bring a pot of hot water to the boil and add the ribs, ginger slices and cooking wine; once it boils, spoon off the white scum and lift the ribs out after 2 to 3 minutes.
- 2
Rinse the ribs under cold water two or three times.
- 3
Over low heat add the cooking oil and the white sugar, stirring gently until the syrup turns yellow.
- 4
Tip in the ribs and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, garlic and bird's eye chili and stir-fry for another 30 seconds before adding water to cover.
- 5
Boil over high heat for 30 minutes, add the dark soy sauce for colour and cook for another 10 minutes.
- 6
Turn out and plate up.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.