The freshly cooked spare ribs, with their tempting aroma, instantly fill the entire sensory world. Whether it is visually or olfactorily, it is mouthwatering and makes everyone eager to move.
Spare ribs have always been an essential delicacy on the dining table. Whether it is the spare ribs served at royal banquets or the well-known stewed spare ribs in the market, or the legendary Wuxi spare ribs, just mentioning their names is a kind of deliciousness.
The reason why spare ribs are highly praised is not only because of their delicious taste, but also because of their high nutritional value, which has the effect of nourishing yin and yang, nourishing the kidneys, and nourishing the blood.
【Benefits of Spare Ribs】
Spare ribs taste sweet and salty, have a neutral nature, and enter the spleen, stomach, and kidney meridians. They nourish the kidneys and blood, nourish yin and moisturize dryness. They are used to treat heat diseases that damage body fluids, thirst, emaciation, kidney deficiency, postpartum blood deficiency, dry cough, constipation, deficiency, nourishing yin, moisturizing dryness, nourishing liver yin, moisturizing the skin, promoting bowel movements, and stopping thirst.
【Nutritional Value of Spare Ribs】
Nourishes the Spleen and Stomach
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that spare ribs can nourish the spleen and stomach. Whether it is braised spare ribs or spare rib soup, whether it is braised or stir-fried, spare ribs have the effect of nourishing the spleen and stomach.
Nourishes the Blood
Spare ribs can provide hemoglobin (organic iron) and cysteine that promote iron absorption, which can improve iron-deficiency anemia.
Strengthens the Bones
Spare ribs are rich in trace elements such as iron and zinc, which can strengthen bones and tendons.
Increases Physical Strength
Spare ribs are rich in creatine, which can increase physical strength and make people energetic.
Supplements Calcium
Spare ribs contain a large amount of calcium phosphate, collagen, and bone glue, which can provide calcium for children and the elderly.
Supplements Nutrition
Spare ribs are rich in protein and fat, providing high-quality protein and essential fatty acids for the human body, and can supplement the nutrients needed by the body.
Nourishes Yin and Invigorates Yang
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that spare ribs can nourish yin and invigorate yang, and are excellent dietary ingredients for both men and women.
【Suitable Population for Spare Ribs】
Generally, everyone can eat them.
Suitable for those with insufficient qi and blood and yin deficiency.
【Restricted Population for Spare Ribs】
Care should be taken for those with dampness-heat and phlegm stagnation; those who are overweight or have high blood lipids should not eat too much.
【Types of Spare Ribs】
Small Ribs
Small ribs refer to the ribs near the belly of the pig. The meat layer is relatively thick and has white cartilage. They are suitable for steaming, frying, and grilling, but should be chopped into small pieces.
Back Ribs
Back ribs refer to the part connecting the abdominal cavity and the back of the pig. The ribs below are pork belly, and the ribs are triangular and obliquely cut. The meat layer of back ribs is very thick, with a layer of thin oil and a piece of pork belly, which is rich in oil and has the most tender meat among all ribs. It is suitable for various cooking methods and flavors, but the taste may be slightly greasy. It is suitable for frying, grilling, and braising, and should be 5-7 cm in length.
Big Ribs
Big ribs are the part where the loin and back of the pig are connected, also known as pork ribs. They are mostly used for deep-frying. They mainly consist of meat slices but also have ribs. In addition to increasing the weight and making the meat slices larger, deep-frying will also add the unique aroma of the large bones. This is also the characteristic of fried pork ribs. In addition to deep-frying, they can also be braised, but before braising, they need to be fried or quickly deep-fried to seal the blood water in the large bones, so as not to flow out during the cooking process and affect the color of the meat slices and broth. They are suitable for frying and braising, thin slices for frying, and thick slices for braising.
Riblets
Riblets are chest cavity-shaped ribs, with relatively thin meat layers and lean meat. However, because one side is connected to the back, the bones may be thicker. Since riblets are relatively large, some stores will divide them into rib bones, back ribs, etc. for customers to choose. For example, the sliced grilled ribs are made from tender ribs. After chopping into small pieces, they can be steamed, fried, or braised. Large pieces are suitable for grilling.
【Calories of Spare Ribs】
The calorie content of spare ribs (per 100 grams of edible portion) is 278 calories (1163 kilojoules). The fat and protein content is high, and the calorie level is medium to high among meat products. They contain a certain amount of cholesterol and should not be eaten too much.
Per 100 grams of spare ribs account for about 12% of the recommended total calorie intake for maintaining health for an ordinary adult.
【Complete Guide to Cooking Spare Ribs】
(I) Braised Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
Spare ribs, carrots (can be replaced with potatoes according to personal taste), shiitake mushrooms, scallions, ginger, star anise, dried tangerine peel.
Instructions:
Boil water and blanch the spare ribs for 1 minute, then drain the blood;
Heat a small amount of oil in the pan until smoking, add ginger and scallions to sauté, then add the spare ribs and stir-fry for a while;
Add water, and when the water boils, add star anise, dried tangerine peel, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms;
Add seasonings (cooking wine, salt, sugar, and soy sauce), cook over high heat for 20-30 minutes;
Add chicken essence and starch water 5 minutes before serving to thicken the sauce.
(II) Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
Pork spare ribs, 3 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 4 scallions (cut into sections), 1 small piece of ginger, 1 clove of garlic (sliced), 6 dried chili peppers (cut into sections), 1 tbsp starch, water, 1 tsp chicken essence, 2 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 3 tbsp tomato sauce, salt to taste.
Instructions:
Blanch the spare ribs in boiling water, then remove and rinse with cold water to remove impurities;
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pot until 70% hot, add the spare ribs and stir-fry until dry, then add soy sauce, dried chili pepper, ginger, and garlic, sauté for a while, add about 2 cups of water, and simmer for about an hour;
When the broth is almost dry, add salt, vinegar, sugar, scallions, and stir-fry evenly, then thicken with starch water, stir-fry evenly, and remove from heat.
(III) Spare Rib Soup
Ingredients:
Spare ribs, various seasonings
Instructions:
Blanch the spare ribs in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, or boil in boiling water for a few minutes, then rinse off the dirt on the bones with cold water;
Add enough cold water to the soup pot, add green onions, ginger, garlic, and any Chinese medicinal herbs you like, such as commonly used sand ginseng, astragalus, angelica, codonopsis, wolfberry, jujube, etc., to increase the flavor of the soup and promote health;
Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat until the soup boils, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours. Finally, add salt, no need to add MSG.
Note:
It is recommended to use mineral water to make soup, the taste will be better.
Some medical experts suggest adding vinegar after the water boils, which can dissolve the phosphorus and calcium in the bones into the soup;
Boil pork bones with horse chestnuts and red and white carrots, and simmer them for two hours over low heat. This soup is delicious without adding MSG;
If using lamb bones, add ginger, red dates, sand ginseng, and jade bamboo to adjust the taste.
(IV) Stewed Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
Pork spare ribs 1000g, green onions, ginger, cooking wine, peppercorns, ground black pepper, salt, appropriate amount.
Instructions:
Chop the pork spare ribs into small pieces, blanch in boiling water, and rinse with cold water;
Put the spare ribs back into the boiling water pot, add scallions, ginger, cooking wine, and peppercorns, and simmer over medium heat for 90 minutes. Remove the bones;
Continue boiling the spare rib soup in the pot, add spare ribs and your favorite ingredients, such as radishes or kelp, and simmer for 15 minutes until the meat is tender.
(V) Wuxi Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
Back ribs 300g, 1 shallot, 115g ginger, 0.5g cinnamon, 1 star anise
Seasonings:
2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp starch water, 1 tsp chicken essence, 2 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 3 tbsp tomato sauce, salt to taste
Instructions:
Wash the shallot, crush it, then cut it into long sections; wash the ginger, slice it;
Wash the back ribs, add soy sauce and mix well, then fry them in hot oil until golden brown, remove. Fry until slightly scorched;
Add 1 tbsp oil to the pot and heat it, add the shallots and ginger and sauté, add the back ribs and all the ingredients, then add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer the back ribs until cooked, remove the Chinese herbs and shallot and ginger slices, leaving the back ribs and soup. Add starch water to thicken, then add chicken essence, rice wine, granulated sugar, tomato sauce, and salt. Cook until well mixed, then remove from heat.
