cooked plum ribs

How to Make Sour Plum Spare Ribs: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sour plum spare ribs, a beloved Chinese dish, balance sweet, sour, and savory flavors with tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. Here’s a simple recipe to recreate this delicacy at home.

Ingredients: 500g pork spare ribs, 8-10 sour plums (pitted), 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp ginger (minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 cup water, and 1 tsp starch (for thickening).

Steps:

1. Marinate the ribs: Rinse ribs and pat dry. Mix with light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and garlic. Let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Sear the ribs: Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add ribs and sear until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Cook the sauce: In the same wok, add sour plums and sugar, mashing slightly. Stir until fragrant.

4. Simmer: Return ribs to the wok. Pour in water, dark soy sauce, and any remaining marinade. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes, covered, until ribs are tender.

5. Thicken and finish: Uncover, increase heat, and stir in starch slurry. Simmer until sauce thickens, coating the ribs evenly. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Serve hot with steamed rice. The plums’ tanginess cuts through the pork’s richness, making this dish a perfect fusion of flavors and textures!