Braised Pork Ribs & Squash

Kabocha is probably the traditional squash for this traditional Chinese dish, but butternut was what I had, and it was fine - plenty of cooks do seem to use it.

The black bean sauce I had was also fairly spicy, which was a thing I liked in the finished dish, but use whatever black bean sauce you like/have/can get. I also saw a few versions of this recipe which called for oyster sauce instead. I don't think it would have the same depth of flavour but it would do in a pinch.

I thought of making this in the Instant-Pot, but it cooked quickly enough that it would actually have been slower, what with the ramping up and the cooling down. Which is a bit amazing since they have the look and taste of something that spent the entire day simmering. This is supposed to be made with small cut spare ribs, but regular pork back-ribs are what I can easily get. They were a bit too large to be ideal, but they worked and we ate them and they were delicious, so no harm, no foul.

Serve with rice and a simply cooked green vegetable.

4 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes to marinate - 20 minutes prep time

Marinate the Pork Ribs:
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce
OR 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon arrowroot 
600 grams (1 1/2 pounds) pork ribs

Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black bean sauce, and arrowroot in a shallow flat-bottomed pan (I used my smaller lasagne pan). Cut the ribs into individual pieces and toss them in the marinade, then lay them out in it in a single layer. Let marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours in the fridge).

Cook the Ribs & Squash:
600 grams (1 1/2 pounds) butternut or kabocha squash
1 large leek
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
2 cups water

Cut the squash and remove the seeds and stringy bits. Peel it and cut it into large bite-sized chunks. Wash, trim, and chop the leek into smaller pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and mince (grate) the ginger.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven (bastible) over medium-high heat. Lift the ribs out of the marinade - scrape it back into the marinating dish - and put them in the oil. Brown the ribs on both sides. Throw in the ginger and garlic for the last minute of cooking.

Add the water to the marinade and swish it out into the pot of ribs once they are all browned. Add the squash and leek. Mix everything gently, then allow the the water to come up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer the ribs, etc, for about 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and the meat is starting to come off the bones. Give it another gentle stir once or twice during the cooking period. The water should cook down to a thick sauce, but make sure it does not boil dry - add more water if that seems like a possibility. Let rest for 5 minutes then serve.





Last year at this time I made Pasta with Bacon, Broccoli, Leeks & Cream.

Posted in: Ontario Food