I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 555 - 270: Large Top-Up Comes With a Reward? Classic Shanghai Dish—Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs! [Subscribe Please]_3
Additionally, we could have Zhuang Yizhou prepare a dish of Wensi Tofu and Steamed Three Shreds. With their exceptional presentation, these dishes shine at any banquet, regardless of its prestige.
Unfortunately, there’s not enough time. Otherwise, we could have Zhu Yong whip up some Drunken Shrimp and Drunken Crab, whose flavors are also unparalleled.
Upon seeing Wei Qian, Lin Xu went over the dishes to be prepared. "I’m handling the private banquet for General Manager Yan’s guests this evening. They’ve just topped up their account with ten million, so we need to give this our utmost attention."
Ten million?
Wei Qian clicked his tongue in amazement, "This boss is really generous! When I play games, I don’t even dare to recharge that many Joy Beans... To make our generous lady happy, tonight I’ll contribute a dish of Braised Pork Belly for her to taste."
Braised Pork Belly is a popular delicacy in the Yangtze River Delta, made with the salty pork and fresh bamboo shoots commonly eaten in Hui. The resulting dish is rich but not greasy, and exceptionally tasty.
"Then you should first have Chezai ask Boss Huang if there are any fresh bamboo shoots available now. If not, you really won’t be able to make it."
「Four o’clock in the afternoon.」
After putting the Ma’anqiao stew on to simmer, Lin Xu casually scooped out the soaked Pork Ribs and started to prepare Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.
People in Shanghai, out of modesty and to differentiate from the original dish, like to add the word "small."
For instance, today’s Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, as well as the Small Jinling Salted Duck, Small Crab Soup Dumplings, and more. The "small" doesn’t refer to the size, but rather to the unique and independently spirited character of local Shanghai cuisine.
I acknowledge the authenticity of your traditional methods and your status, but I also want to showcase the unique personality of Shanghai folks. A single "small" in the dish’s name perfectly conveys all these sentiments.
"Boss, what dish are you making?"
Chezai walked in carrying several fresh bamboo shoots. These were for the Braised Pork Belly Wei Qian was to make later in the evening.
Lin Xu replied, "I’m making Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
At the mention of this dish, Chezai’s interest was immediately piqued. "Do you need to blanch the ribs for this dish?"
"No need. Remember this, Chezai: any dish made with Pork Ribs isn’t suitable for blanching. Just like when making Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce, simply soaking them in water for an extended period will suffice. If you’re pressed for time, you can rub and wash them with baking soda for ten minutes... However, if they’re frozen Pork Ribs, then you should definitely blanch them."
Frozen Pork Ribs not only require blanching but are also unsuitable for dishes that are steamed or have sweet and sour flavors. It’s best to opt for preparations with heavier flavors, such as soy-braised, red-cooked, or spicy.
The reason is that after Pork Ribs are frozen, a significant amount of their umami substances are lost, and the meat also loses its elasticity.
After draining the Pork Ribs, Lin Xu placed them in a basket. He then prepared Scallion and Ginger, Star Anise, Rice Vinegar, Zhenjiang vinegar, Rice Wine, Crystal Sugar, White Sugar, Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, salt, and other seasonings.
Once everything was ready, Lin Xu set up the wok and began to cook.
As one of the eight famous cold dishes in local Shanghai cuisine, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs are meant to be eaten cold. Therefore, they need to be prepared in advance to allow the ribs’ temperature to cool down.
This way, the acidity mellows, and the meat becomes firmer. The sourness will then gradually emerge from the meat as you chew, making for a more lingering and delicious experience.
Add oil to the wok, using a bit more than you would for a typical stir-fry.
Heat the oil, then add the Pork Ribs and sauté them.
There’s no need to rush this step. It’s crucial to cook the Pork Ribs thoroughly, allowing any blood and off-flavors to escape with the steam, leaving only the pure aroma of the meat.
During frying, there’s no need to add anything else; just keep stir-frying.
Chezai, watching from the side, looked surprised. "At the restaurant where I used to work, we always caramelized sugar for Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs. Don’t you do that, Boss?"
Lin Xu replied with a smile, "Traditional Shanghai cuisine seldom uses caramelized sugar; most dishes rely on Dark Soy Sauce for color. The so-called ’rich oil and red sauce’ comes from this. For this dish to be perfect, it needs the deep color from Dark Soy Sauce. If it has that reddish hue from caramelized sugar, then it’s not the old Shanghai method."
Traditional Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs should not only have a syrupy sauce that can be stretched into threads but also a color that is deep red with black undertones. In areas where the sauce is abundant, it should be a dark brown—that’s authentic Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.
However, nowadays, with the growing emphasis on healthy eating, the flavors of Shanghai cuisine have become much lighter. They have even started to shift towards the fresh and natural tastes akin to Cantonese cuisine, with a much more restrained use of seasonings.
In terms of sugar consumption, Shanghai cuisine is even less sweet than that of the Wuxi people, who are also from the Yangtze River Delta and are known for their love of sugary flavors.
When the Pork Ribs are fried until their surface turns golden brown and the oil in the pot becomes clear again, it indicates that the ribs are thoroughly cooked and the surface moisture has evaporated.
At this point, Lin Xu poured a prepared bowl of Rice Vinegar into the wok.
To make Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, a very large amount of Rice Vinegar is used—nearly six liang (about 225 grams) of Rice Vinegar for one jin (about 500 grams) of Pork Ribs. However, the sour taste of this dish doesn’t actually come from the Rice Vinegar, but from the Zhenjiang vinegar added towards the end.
The main purpose of the Rice Vinegar is to tenderize the meat, remove any gamey taste, neutralize unwanted odors, and enhance the overall fragrance.
After adding the Rice Vinegar to the wok, Lin Xu added two slices of ginger, one tied scallion, one Star Anise, a handful of Crystal Sugar, a ladleful of Light Soy Sauce, a ladleful of Rice Wine, half a ladleful of Dark Soy Sauce, a small spoonful of salt, and a large bowl of water.
Once everything was added, he covered the wok and let it stew over medium heat.
The seasoning in Shanghai cuisine is quite interesting. Although sugar and Soy Sauce can be used generously, other seasonings are used very sparingly, especially spices. For a whole pot of Pork Ribs, one Star Anise is usually enough.
And in another representative dish of Shanghai cuisine, Braised Pork Belly, there isn’t even a place for a single Star Anise. The entire dish is cooked without a hint of spice, truly achieving an original and natural flavor.
Simmer on low heat for about fifteen minutes. When the sauce in the pot thickens, lift the lid.
First, pick out the scallion, ginger, and Star Anise. Then, turn up the heat.
At this stage, the sauce in the pot has turned somewhat black, while the Pork Ribs still have a reddish hue.
Then, grab a handful of White Sugar, add it to the pot, and begin to stir-fry.
White Sugar effectively helps to thicken the sauce, while stir-frying accelerates the evaporation of moisture.
Soon, the sauce began to thicken, and the color of the Pork Ribs deepened. Simultaneously, the fragrance in the wok grew more intense.
When the sauce was nearly at the string-pulling stage and had turned dark brown, Lin Xu poured the prepared Zhenjiang vinegar along the edge of the wok.
After a burst of tangy aroma rose up, he stir-fried for ten seconds, then removed the ribs and plated them.
If you like sesame seeds, this would be the time to sprinkle a handful of White Sesame seeds. However, today Lin Xu was making the traditional flavor that Yan Lin had specifically requested, so he omitted the sesame.
Just as he finished plating the Pork Ribs, a beautiful face peeked through the kitchen doorway—Shen Baobao was back from work.
"What are you cooking?"
"Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs. Wait by the door; I made extra."
Upon hearing "Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs," Shen Baobao’s eyes immediately lit up.
Wow, I love this kind of sweet and sour dish the most! Lin Xu, you’re so annoying! I was planning to eat a light meal for my diet; looks like I’ll have to start cutting calories tomorrow...
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A new month has begun. Brothers, please subscribe and give me your guaranteed Monthly Tickets. This Chapter is 5,200 characters. Although I’m updating a bit late, the word count is substantial!
