Braised Pork Spareribs with Fermented Bean Curd (腐乳排骨, Fu6 Jyu5 Paai4 Gwat1)

This recipe was updated on 07 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

This is another favorite pork sparerib recipe using fermented bean curd. Since I like the taste of fermented bean curd, I use a lot. Unless you’re familiar with the taste of this ingredient, you might want to use less until you’re comfortable with the taste.

Black or wood ear fungus are available either fresh or dried, and either whole or sliced. The dried version needs to be rehydrated with hot water and the volume expands greatly, so don’t be deceived by the seemingly small amount of the dried version. The fresh version needs to be washed. The hard inedible stems should be removed from both versions. Whole or sliced cloud or wood ear fungus works well in this dish. If you can’t find cloud or wood ear fungus at your local Asian market, there’s really no substitute for this ingredient.

Enjoy!

Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)

This recipe was updated on 13 Aug 2013. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

This recipe was adapted from the Mexican Pulled Pork recipe at America’s Test Kitchen. Their original premise was to develop a recipe that did involve lard or deep frying to produce the carnitas’ crispy outside. Their solution, after oven-braising the pork in a Dutch oven, was to use the broiler after coating the pork with a reduction of the remaining liquid and fat. The method works great and I’ve modified their technique to use the barbeque grill instead of the broiler to get a smokier flavor incorporated into the pork. I also use beer and tequila, instead of water, and adjusted the spices to braise the pork. Any leftovers can be used to make Mexican Pulled Pork Enchiladas.

The resulting carnitas are soft on the inside and a crispy brown on the outside, with that distinctive smoked flavor from the grill. Homemade salsa and pickled vegetables (in this case carrots and onions), and chopped cabbage are the accompaniments to this dish. This is an all-afternoon type recipe, but the results are worth it.

Enjoy!

Red Fermented Bean Curd Pork Spareribs (南乳排骨, Naam4 Jyu5 Paai4 Gwat1)

 

This recipe was updated on 07 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

 

Pork sparerib dishes are some of my favorites. This particular sparerib dish uses red fermented bean curd together with Chinese long beans and shiitake mushrooms. Fermented bean curd is another Chinese ingredient that could be considered an acquired taste. I like its flavor since I grew up eating dishes with it. Red fermented bean curd is red because of the addition of red rice, which gives a distinctive color and taste to the dish. If this is the first time you’ve ever used this ingredient, you might want to reduce the amount used in this dish.

 

Enjoy!