These ribs come out meltingly tender under a glossy sauce that smells of star anise and cinnamon. The hard part is the final stretch, reducing the liquid just enough that the sauce clings without catching.
Sear the ribs until the edges color, then braise them with the aromatics and enough liquid to just cover for 35 to 45 minutes. Once the ribs are tender, take the lid off and raise the heat so the liquid reduces and coats every piece.
This batch weighs about 833g, at roughly 151 calories per 100g.
Method
Chop the ribs into bite sized lengths, or leave them long if you prefer.
Heat some cooking oil and sear the ribs until the edges color, then lift them out.
Fry the shallot, garlic, sliced ginger and dried chilies in the pan until fragrant.
Return the ribs to the pan and toss them through the aromatics.
Add 2 tablespoons of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 120ml of Shaoxing wine, 1 to 2 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick, along with enough water to just cover the ribs.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise over medium heat for 35 to 45 minutes.
Once the ribs are tender, uncover and raise the heat so the liquid reduces and the sauce coats each piece.
Tips
Restaurants coat the ribs in a little cornstarch and pass them through oil, while the home version only needs the edges browned.
Without Shaoxing wine, glutinous rice wine or sake at a smaller amount works, with a lighter aroma.
Pour off most of the oil after frying the ribs, keeping a little for the aromatics so the sauce is not heavy.
Stir constantly at the final stage, since the liquid reduces fast and the pan scorches easily.
Chinkiang black vinegar in place of rice vinegar gives a darker color and a deeper aroma.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.