Baby Ribs Wuxi-Style Recipe

Baby Ribs Wuxi-Style Recipe

670g baby back pork spareribs, cut lengthwise into individual ribs

  and then crosswise into about 20 pieces, each 1½ to 2 inches long

¼ cup rice wine or dry sherry

⅓ cup smashed rock sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup fermented red rice, loosely tied in a piece of cheesecloth

4 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed

One ½-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed under a cleaver

2 whole star anise

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

4 small dried hot red chilies

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the ribs and cook to remove some of the surface fat, about 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander.  Mix 2 cups water with the rice wine, rock sugar, soy sauce, fermented red rice, scallions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick and chilies in a flameproof casserole or Dutch oven.  Add the ribs and bring to a boil over high heat.  Place a plate or a flat lid inside the wok to keep the ribs submerged in the sauce.  Partially cover the casserole with the lid.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook at a steady simmer until the ribs are tender and the sauce is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes.  If the sauce seems too thin, transfer the ribs to a platter, cover them with aluminum foil to keep warm, and boil the sauce over high heat for a few minutes to reduce it.  Remove the star anise, cinnamon stick, and chilies.  Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving platter, and serve immediately.  (The red rice is only a seasoning, and should not be eaten).  Fermented rice, like regular rice, will triple in volume when cooked, so tie it loosely in cheesecloth so it has room to expand.