Drunken Spareribs Recipe

Drunken Spareribs Recipe

For the marinade:

2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

⅛ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons tapioca flour

1½ tablespoons egg white, beaten

450 g spareribs, flap and fat removed and ribs cut into 1-inch pieces

  by the butcher (thirty 1-inch pieces)

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon Colman's mustard powder

2½ tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili paste

1 tablespoon sesame seed paste (tahini)

½ cup canned tomato ketchup

2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

Pinch freshly ground white pepper

1 liter peanut oil

One 1-inch-thick slice fresh ginger, peeled

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon curry powder mixed with 1 tablespoon chicken stock

¼ cup chicken stock

4 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.  Place the chopped sparerib pieces in the marinade and allow to rest for 30 minutes.  In another bowl, mix the sauce ingredients and reserve.  Heat a wok over high heat for 40 seconds, add the peanut oil, and heat to 180°C.  When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger and garlic cloves.  Place the spareribs in a single layer in a Chinese strainer and lower into the oil.  Fry for 10 minutes or until the ribs turn golden.  Turn off the heat, remove the spareribs, drain, then reserve on a heated platter.  Transfer the oil to a bowl.  Heat a wok over high heat for 10 seconds and return 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil to the wok.  Add the minced garlic and stir.  When it turns light brown, add the curry mixture, stir, and cook for 1 minute.  Add the stock, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir the sauce mixture, pour into the wok, and stir to mix.  Add the scallions, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.  All the ingredients should blend well and release their fragrances.  At this point you will have a varied, rich, thick sauce.  Turn off the heat.  Pour the sauce over the spareribs on the platter and serve.