Spare Ribs with Cucumber and Herb Salad

, from Issue #18. September, 2015
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Spare Ribs with Cucumber and Herb Salad

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 kilograms meaty free-range pork spare ribs

Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 spring onions, very finely sliced
½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup Shaoxing

Chinese cooking
wine or sherry
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 tablespoons soy sauce
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

Cucumber salad
1 telegraph cucumber, lightly peeled and sliced into long batons
4 spring onions, sliced on diagonal
1 long red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts
½ cup each coriander and mint leaves
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lime juice caster sugar to taste

METHOD

Cut the rib racks into single ribs and place in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Skim the surface and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Sauce: Heat the oil and sauté the spring onions, 5 spice, sugar, salt, ginger and garlic until soft. Stir a little of the Shaoxing into the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Stir in the rest of the Shaoxing, along with the lemon zest, juice and chilli sauce. Add to the spring onions and cook for one minute.

Pour this over the ribs and toss to coat. Lay the ribs on a lined baking tray and scrape over any sauce left in the bowl. Roast until tender, turning and basting every 20 minutes.

Salad: Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the fish sauce, oil and lime juice together, adding sugar to taste. Stir to dissolve. Pour over the salad and toss well.

To serve: Arrange the ribs and salad on a serving platter and garnish with lime wedges.