Braised Pork Spareribs with Bitter Melon (排骨焖苦瓜 Pai Gu Men Ku Gua）
This has a wonderfully complex umami taste from the spareribs and bitter melon. It's a great dish even if you don't like bitter melon!
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 to 1.5 lb cross-cut pork spareribs
- 1 large or 2 medium bitter melons
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans
- 1 1-inch long piece of ginger
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 - 2 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Cut the spareribs into individual pieces. Make sure to cut the ribs along the meat part between two neighboring bones. Put the spareribs in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Soak the ribs for at least 30 minutes. Change the water at least once in between.
- 2
While soaking the spareribs, prepare the marinade. Mince the fermented black beans. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. In a small bowl, add the minced fermented black beans, ginger, garlic, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons of sugar, mixing well.
- 3
Rinse the bitter melon. Cut the bitter melon in half length-wise. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon or huller. Then cut the bitter melon into 1-inch-long chunks. Set aside. In a small dish, add 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water, mixing well.
- 4
When the spareribs are done soaking, rinse with water and drain well. Add the spareribs and the marinade in a medium bowl, mixing well with your hands. Alternatively, mix them in a large ziploc bag. Marinate the spareribs in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- 5
Heat a medium-size dutch oven or wok under medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is getting hot, add the spareribs along with the marinade and solids, stirring once or twice to heat all sides of the meat. When all sides of the meat change color from pink to brown (about 3 minutes), add enough hot water to immerse the spareribs. Scrape up any fond at the bottom of the pan and gently stir around a bit. When the liquid boils, cover the lid and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for 25 minutes.
- 6
When the 25 minutes are up, add the bitter melon pieces. Raise the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid covered. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open. When the liquid reduces a bit, add the starch water little by little (make sure to stir the starch water again before adding). If there is not much liquid left, do not add any starch water. When the sauce thickens a bit, turn off the heat and transfer everything to a plate. Enjoy!