From China with fury!

Bad Boys

This is a delicious recipe from the Chinese tradition.

If you want to eat a tasty dish that will make you live a real Asian experience, you have to try this recipe!
Tang Cu Pai Gu is bitter-sweet mix of ribs, spices and sauces with a sprinkle of vinegar and wine.
If you are lucky (and a bit lazy…), you can try Tang Cu Pai Gu in some famous Chinese restaurants or take-away.
I suggest you to try this recipe because it is a satisfying food experience.

If you are a good cook you can do it at home, following the recipe below!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound spare ribs (cut into to 1.5 inch sections)
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 30-35g mashed rock sugar
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons of black vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of extra black vinegar
• 1 star anise (optional)
• 3 ginger slices
• 4 green onions (only the white part)
• Hot water as needed 
• ½ tablespoon of white sesame seed for garnishing
• Spring onion for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1- Cut ribs into 1.5 inch sections. Place them in a pot with cold water. Bring to boiling and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Take the ribs out and rinse them under running warm water. Set aside to drain.

2- Add cooking oil and smashed rock sugar in a wok, heat over a slow fire. Keep stirring until the sugar melts and turns into dark red.

3- Add ribs until they become almost brown, place light soy sauce on top, cooking wine and black vinegar. Continue stirring and frying for 2 minutes, pour enough hot water to cover and add ginger, green onion and star anise.

4- Cover the pan with the lid and simmer for 25 minutes over slow fire. Stir once or twice in the process. Pick the ginger, green onion and star anise out in the later stage.

5- Turn up the fire. Keep stirring and stop when the sauce has almost adhered to the ribs. Be carefully in the last minutes in order not to get your ribs overcooked.

6- Add 1 extra teaspoon of black vinegar and sesame seeds. Combine well.

7- Garnish with chopped springs onion before service.


Glossary
Lazy: taking a comparatively long time
Inch: unity of length
Wok: cooking utensil consisting of a wide metal vessel
Pot: a kitchen utensil used for cooking
Rinse: the act of removing
Stir: the act of mix something
Fry: to cook something with fat/oil
Anise: aromatic herb
Pour: to flow something in a different container
Lid: the cover a hole (especially a hole in the top a container)
Simmer: boil slowly something at low temperature
Overcooked: cooked too long
Garnish: to decorate with other food