Wuxi Spareribs Recipes

BRAISED CHINESE PORK RIBS (WUXI STYLE) 無錫排骨

Steps:

• Cut the spareribs into single-bone pieces. Add the salt, light soy sauce, then marinate overnight.
• Blanch in hot water for three minutes to remove blood and impurities. Rinse and drain in a colander. (Optional step)
• Saute ingredients (B) with the oil in the pan until fragrant. Remove the aromatics.
• Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the frying pan. Pan-fried the spare ribs over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
• Add ingredients (C). Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for one hour over low heat or until the ribs become tender. Add water if necessary.
• Remove the ribs from the braising liquid.
• Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve. Reduce the liquid. Thicken with the 1/2 teaspoon of cornflour.
• Add the ribs back to the sauce. Coat the ribs with the sauce and reduce the sauce further until it becomes syrupy. Serve.

1-2-3-4-5 RIBS

Steps:

• Select meaty ribs, and have the butcher cut them into 1.5" to 2" long pieces. Rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Preheat a wok until it starts to smoke lightly (see my post on how to prevent food from sticking to a wok). Add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the ginger slices. Over medium heat, fry the ginger for 1 minute. Add the ribs, turn up the heat to high, and take a few minutes to brown both sides.
• Turn down the heat, and add in 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 5 tablespoons water. Stir and mix everything well. Turn up the heat to bring it to a boil.
• Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium/low. Simmer for 25 minutes (20 minutes if the ribs are less meaty than mine). Halfway through the process, check to make sure the liquid is not drying up. If so, reduce the heat further and add in a little more water if needed.
• After 25 minutes of simmering, remove the lid. There should be quite a bit of liquid left. Time to turn up the heat to reduce the sauce and make the ribs glisten. With the heat on high, continuously stir and toss the ribs. This process takes only a couple of minutes. Reduce the liquid until there is ¼ cup of liquid left and the ribs are gleaming with sauce! Serve immediately.

WUXI SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Blanch whole scallion in a 4-quart pot of boiling water until softened, about 1 minute.
• Transfer scallion to a work surface and return pot of water to a boil.
• Add ribs to boiling water and return to a boil, then immediately drain ribs in a colander.
• Transfer ribs to a wide 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy pot.
• Carefully tie blanched scallion into a knot and add to pot with ribs.
• Add wine, soy sauces, 3 cups water, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, rock sugar, and pepper to pot with ribs and simmer, covered, until meat is just tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove lid and boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by three fourths and meat is very tender, about 20 minutes more.
• Whisk together cornstarch and remaining tablespoon water in a cup.
• Reduce heat to moderate and add cornstarch mixture to ribs, then cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.
• Serve sprinkled with chopped scallion and cilantro.

WUXI SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Blanch whole scallion in a 4-quart pot of boiling water until softened, about 1 minute. Transfer scallion to a work surface and return pot of water to a boil. Add ribs to boiling water and return to a boil, then immediately drain ribs in a colander. Transfer ribs to a wide 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy pot. Carefully tie blanched scallion into a knot and add to pot with ribs.
• Add wine, soy sauces, 3 cups water, ginger, anise, cinnamon, sugar, and pepper to pot with ribs and simmer, covered, until meat is just tender, about 1 hour. Remove lid and boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by three fourths and meat is very tender, about 20 minutes more. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining tablespoon water in a cup. Reduce heat to moderate and add cornstarch mixture to ribs, then cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil. Serve sprinkled with chopped scallion and cilantro.