Spicy Salt and Pepper Ribs

Salt and pepper ribs are one of the mainstays of a Chinese restaurant and for a good reason. However, you don’t have to go there whenever you want to eat this dish. You can recreate it at home!

Your family and friends will love your rendition of this trusty Chinese dish. Follow the recipe below for the best results!

Ingredients

• 300g of pork spare ribs
• 2 bulbs of minced garlic
• 2 thumbs of grated ginger
• Black peppercorns or Szechuan peppercorns
• Salt
• 1 pc long green chili
• 1 pc red chili
• 1 stalk of onion leeks
• 1&1/2 cups of potato starch

Ingredients for marinade

• Salt & pepper mix
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsps potato starch

For coating / light breading

• Potato flour
• Salt & pepper mix
• 1 tbsp of salt & pepper mix to 1 cup of potato starch

How to Make Spicy Salt & Pepper Ribs

1. Meat prep: Get a bowl deep enough to fit in all your spare ribs. Soak them in water for about 30 minutes at the very least. Change the water at least twice. The water should be free of blood and gunk.

2.  Fry peppercorns and salt: Fry your peppercorns and salt over low heat in a heated pan. Once you get a good whiff of these aromatics, take it off the pan and transfer it onto your mortar, pestle, or grinder.

3.  Straining: After crushing, pounding, and or grinding, use a filter to get the finer parts and transfer them into an airtight container so you can still use the excess for another time.

4.  Set aside: Set it aside for later.

5.  Season the meat: Drain out all the water from the bowl with the spare ribs. Rub every piece with the salt and pepper mix. Then add your mirin and soy sauce.

6.  Massage the meat: Add your potato starch and massage well. Cover with a cling wrap and let it sit in your fridge for at least four hours. Leaving it overnight is best, although four hours is enough if you have no time.

7.  Bring out meat: Bring out the meat. Let it sit inside the cling wrap, and wait for the meat to return to room temperature before breading and frying.

8.  Coating and breading: Coat every piece of meat well. Let them sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before frying, so the meat absorbs the light breading. Doing this helps prevent the flour from falling off the meat into the oil.

9.   Cooking the meat: Fill a saucepan with enough oil to cover your meat. Do not overload the pan with the meat. Leave enough space between the meat to avoid them sticking to each other. This step goes by quickly.

10.  Fry the meat: Fry the meat until the turn slightly golden brown. Set them aside and drain the excess oil. Let them sit for about five to ten minutes, and deep fry them again in the same oil.

11.  Re-coating: You can coat them again before re-frying for extra crispiness. However, it’s not completely necessary.

12.  Saute ingredients: Saute your sliced spring onions, green chili, red chili, and ginger in a heated pan. After about two minutes, you may now drop the deep-fried pork spare ribs.

13.  Add garlic: Add your minced garlic. Mix well!

Other Tips

Doesn’t that plate look beautiful?

Take a closer look at these flavorful and tender spicy salt and pepper spare ribs.

Follow all these steps and get meat with a crispy exterior and juicy inside. You can cook this dish anytime you want!

If you want to make Chinese-style golden sauce, you can mix some vinegar into your salt and pepper mix. After eating, throw away the bones, and don’t feed them to the dogs!