Black Bean Ribs

Normally I use the “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” recipe to braise ribs, but since the beginning of the year I’ve been on a “let’s try something new kick”, so of course tonight it no exception. The only issue is I can’t figure out how come the original recipe called for only 10 minutes of simmering, when I cooked mine for about 20 minutes and the meat was still not as tender as I’d like (which is falling off the bones). The below is the modified version of how I would cook it the next time around.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds baby back spareribs
2 tablespoons fermented black beans (also called salted black beans)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1/8 red chili flakes
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
a few drops sesame oil
2 scallions (spring onion, green onion) cut into 3 – 4 pieces

Preparation:

Cut apart the spareribs. Rinse the fermented black beans thoroughly and then mince. (Not rinsing the beans will make the taste too salty). Mash the beans together with the minced garlic and ginger, and the dark soy sauce. Set aside.Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the spareribs and stir-fry until browned (4 to 5 minutes). Remove.Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, if needed. Add the chopped red chili and the mashed bean mixture. Stir-fry until aromatic.Add the spareribs back into the wok and mix with the bean mixture. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar. Turn down the heat and braise, covered, until the ribs are tender (at least 30 minutes).

Turn off the heat and stir in a few drops of sesame oil. Serve garnished with the scallion. I laid the meat over a bed of clear noodles and drizzled the black bean sauce over them, yum!

Adapted from About.com