Spareribs with Salted Black Beans

Again with the Asian! Actually, today's post is a continuation of last night's dinner ... and the colors and taste of that dish were something to behold. I had to share with the world! Of course, hindsight gives me a chance to improve a bit on the recipe ... and you will see in photos that I used babyback ribs with the bone-in. The recipe has been changed, though, to spareribs that have been boned. This makes cooking them in the wok easier and more complete as well as making the dish easier to eat.


So, enjoy! This is really a wonderful dish. Hey! I think the Chinese New Year celebration is just about now... right? I wonder what year we're going into...wait! Internet research tells me the Chinese New Year celebrations begin tomorrow and continue through February 14th. Welcome to the Year of the Tiger!


Spareribs With Salted Black Beans - printer friendly

Spareribs with Salted Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. pork spareribs (boned), washed, dried, and cut in half

1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 egg
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. black beans, drained, washed, dried, and salted with kosher salt
4 perfect green onions, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces (use all the greens)
1 green pepper, seeded, de-veined, and cut into 1 inch square pieces
2 tbsp. cornstarch
½ c. chicken broth
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
canola oil for frying
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tbsp. gingerroot, minced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
½ c. chicken broth

Velvet the pork:

1. Prep the pork, place in a bowl and add the sugar, soy sauce, and egg.
2. Toss with your hands until the pork is coated with the egg mixture – set aside 10 minutes.
3. After ten minutes, add the cornstarch and mix again to coat the meat with this ‘paste’.
4. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Prep the sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine: 2 tbsp. cornstarch, ½ c. chicken broth, 1 tsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. soy sauce. Mix and set aside near your wok station.

Prepping the dish:

1. Heat 1½ inches of canola oil in the wok over high heat (350º oil will fry well). This should take about three or four minutes, anyway.
2. When the oil is hot, lower four or five pieces of the pork (with sauce on) into the wok and cook, carefully turning to get it golden and crunchy on all sides (five minutes per batch)
3. Work in batches and drain the cooked pork on paper towels.
4. When all the pork is cooked, get rid of the oil safely, wipe the wok, and return it to the heat.
5. When the wok is hot, add: 2 tbsp. peanut oil and swirl to coat the wok sides.
6. Add the gingerroot and garlic and stir-fry a moment, then add the beans, onions, and green pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another minute or two, then add ½ c. chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Stir the sauce mixture up and add to the wok ingredients, stirring gently to thicken.
8. Turn the pork into the sauce, toss gently to mix, lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes to finish off the dish.

Plate the dish and serve steamed jasmine rice on the side.