Chinese Glazed Riblets With Garlic and Thai Basil
- Ready In:
- 1hr 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
-
RIBS
- 4 lbs pork spareribs, trimmed St. Louis-style membrane removed cut in half across the bone
- 2 1⁄2 quarts water
- 3⁄4 cup mushroom soy sauce or 3/4 cup regular soy sauce
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons molasses
- 6 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine or 6 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 3 star anise pods
- 3⁄4 cup unpeeled fresh ginger, rough chopped
-
SAUCE
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1⁄2 cup Chinese red vinegar or 1/2 unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- vegetable oil (for cooking)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1⁄2 cup Thai basil or 1/2 cup basil leaves
directions
- Cut ribs apart between bones. Rinse and put in a 6- to 8-qt pot. Add 2 1/2 qts water, cover and bring to a boil. Skim and discard any foam.
- Add mushroom soy sauce, rice wine, five-spice powder, star anise and ginger. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered, until meat is tender (45 minutes to 1 hour).
- Strain rib mixture through a colander set over a large bowl. Set bowl of braising liquid in a larger bowl of ice water. Let ribs and seasonings cool in colander, then return to liquid and chill covered, at least 4 and up to 12 hours.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together sugar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, vinegar, and fish sauce until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and set a rimmed baking sheet in it. Pour 1 1/2 in oil into a 5- to 6-qt pot. Insert a deep-fry thermometer and heat oil over high heat to 350 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from bowl of ribs. Transfer ribs to a colander and discard seasonings. Working with one-quarter of ribs at a time, toss in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
- Gently add ribs to oil. Cook until bones are browned and meat is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer ribs to baking sheet in oven.
- Heat a wok or 12-in frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of remaining 1/4 cup oil. When it's hot, stir in one-quarter of garlic. Cook about 15 seconds, then add one-quarter each of ribs and sauce. Cook, stirring with tongs (or a wide metal spatula, if using a frying pan), until sauce thickens and coats ribs well (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in one-quarter of basil leaves; cook and toss ribs until basil turns bright green, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a platter. Scrape out excess sauce from wok and spoon over ribs.
- Cook remaining ribs the same way, adding a splash of water and reducing heat if pan starts to scorch.
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