Chinese 5 Spice Braised Pork Spare Ribs Recipe

What is your favourite meat?  Mine is, can't say it fast enough, PORK!  I love bacon.  I love prosciutto.  I loved pulled pork.  I love Chinese roast and BBQ pork!  I love pork belly in every kind of way!  Here is a super easy recipe for braised pork ribs/belly.  I find spare ribs are easier as it is already cut up for you at the supermarket but nevertheless you can by all means use a big slab of pork belly.

Ok, so this is what you need for a serving for 4.  In this case for 2 hungry people:

1. 750-900 gms of pork spare ribs or pork belly
2. 1 whole garlic bulb, medium (separate the cloves, give it a squash so the flavour oozes out and throw in with skin on)
3. 12 dried Shitake mushrooms
4. 4-6 eggs (up to you how many)
5.  6 tbspns of dark soy sauce
6. 4 cubes of palm sugar
7. 1.5 sticks of cinnamon
8. 3 star anise
9. 8 cloves
10. 1 large tspn of Chinese 5 spice powder
11. dash of white pepper
12.  water to cover meat
13. Shallots for garnish

Method:

1. Re-hydrate the mushrooms in hot water for about 15 mins, squeeze the water out and trim stems off.  You can pour a bit of the water into the pot at step 4 for extra flavour.
2. Boil your eggs to about 80% hard boiled (bring eggs to boil for 2 minutes, then take off the heat with lid on and let sit for a further 7 mins
3. Caramelise the pork  
4. In a nice big pot (I like my clay pot) add all the above ingredients, except the eggs in with the pork and cover with water
5.  Bring to boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 1.5 hrs
6. When the meat has softened about 90% add the peeled eggs.  Have a taste and if it is to sweet add some soy, if  too salty add some more palm sugar.  Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the pork is super soft.
7. Garnish with shallots
8. Serve with steamed rice & steamed gai lan (Chinese broccoli)

Pretty easy recipe that looks impressive and also tastes like a Chinese festival of flavours is dancing in your mouth.  The pork is so tender and most of the fat has melted into the yummy sauce so no cutting off the fat and leaving it to the side people!  Eat it and enjoy it!