Shanghai Food: Hunan cumin ribs – Di Shui Dong style

Name: Shanghai Food: Hunan cumin ribs – Di Shui Dong style
Cuisine: Chinese, Asian
Ingredients: 3 racks of pork ribs, (if you go to a Chinese butcher, they are cut ‘American’ style); Water; 3 Cloves Garlic Sliced; 1 knob Ginger sliced; 1 small handful shallot ends; 1 stick cassia bark; 2 star anise; 375 ml light Soy sauce; 375 ml Shoaxing wine (Chinese cooking wine); 75 g chinese rock sugar; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or good medium-dry sherry; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornflour; 1 3/4 cups peanut oil; 2 teaspoons minced ginger; 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic; 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and finely chopped; 2 to 4 teaspoons dried chili flakes; 2 tablespoons cumin seeds or cumin powder; Salt; 2 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced; 1 teaspoon sesame oil

11 steps

Note by Kat: I have edited the recipe from the original to suit how I cooked it on 14 November 2022. Start making this in morning as you need to make sure you have enough time to slow cook the ribs then cool them before cooking in the flavour at the end.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:57:23 GMT

Ingredients

0 servings

Instructions

Step 1

Fill your stockpot ¾ full with cold water.

Step 2

Add the sliced garlic, ginger and shallots, followed by the aromatics.

Step 3

Add the light soy, shaoxing wine and Chinese rock sugar.

Step 4

Bring to the boil and taste the stock for balance of flavours.

Step 5

Strain it through a fine sieve. This will become your master stock to slow cook ribs in.

Step 6

Boil ribs in separate pot of water to get rid of sediments. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place ribs in master stock on slow cook (lowest setting) for 1 hr 30 mins.

Step 7

Transfer ribs to a dish and cool in the fridge

Step 8

In a bowl, mix the wine, salt, soy sauces, flour and one tablespoon water. Add cooled ribs to marinade.

Step 9

This step is to put some colour to the outside of the ribs. In a wok, heat peanut oil to about 275 degrees. Add ribs and stir gently for two to three minutes, then remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Step 10

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of oil in wok. Over a high flame, add the ginger, garlic, fresh chilies, chili flakes and cumin seeds and stir-fry briefly, until they are fragrant. Return ribs to the wok and stir well, seasoning with salt to taste.

Step 11

When ribs are sizzling and fragrant,add spring onions and toss briefly. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.