Chinese Cuisine – Stewed Sea cucumber with Pork Ribs

Ah-ha, this stewed sea cucumber with pork ribs is the recipe that I got it from one of my Asian friend which he mentioned was secret recipe learned from his late grandma. Definitely you will like it if you are Chinese cuisine lover.

• Ingredients:
  • 1kg of pork ribs
  • 3 sea cucumbers （soaked and cooked, cut into large pieces)
  • 5 red dates (picture shown 10, but i used 5 only)
  • 5 dried mushroom (soaked for 15 minutes, cut into half)
  • 25 g ginger (sliced)
  • 5 shallots (cut into half)
  • 1 red chili (sliced)
  • 1 spring onion (chopped)
  • 15g rock sugar
  • 550ml water

• Marinate :
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (chinese cooking wine)
  • a dash of pepper
• Seasonings:
  • 50g soy sauce,
  • 3/4 tsp dask soy sauce,
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce,
  • 1 tsp salt, a dash of pepper
  • 50g shaoxing wine + another 30g (for later use)
• Starch solution 
  • 1 tbsp corn flour + 1 tbsp water (mix well)
• Method:
  1. Soaked pork ribs for 20 minutes, drain it. Mix pork ribs with marinade for 15 minutes.
  2. Deep fry pork ribs in boiled oil until turn golden color. Drain and set aside.
  3. Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute ginger and shallots, add rock sugar and 30g water, stir over low heat until rock sugar fully dissolved and turns to brown sugar syrup.
  4. Add pork ribs, mushrooms and red dates, stir well. Add seasonings and stir well, add the balance of the water (500ml), bring to boil. Cover with lid and stew over low heat for 25 minutes or until pork ribs entirely cooked.
  5. Add sea cucumbers and red chili, stir well. Add 30g shaoxing wine, mix well. Lastly, thicken the gravy with starch solution. Sprinkle with spring onion as garnishing and serve.

**Tips on Soaking sea cucumber：
Rinse sea cucumber and soak in water for overnight. Pour out the soaked water and replace the water and boil the sea cucumber for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with lid, set aside till the water has cooled. Replace again the water and re-boiled. Repeat the same steps for 2-3 times, and then cut off the sea cucumber stomach and clean the gut. Continue to soak the sea cucumber in water till it achieves your desired softness.

Keep the soaked sea cucumber in the freezer，can be stored for a long period of time.