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1
Blanch the Ribs
10 Mins
Boiling, 100°C (212°F)
Put the ribs in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming off the grey foam, then drain and rinse the ribs and the pot clean.
Do not skip the blanch: it keeps the finished broth clean-tasting instead of cloudy and gamey.
Done when: Ribs look pale and clean, with no foam or scum left on the meat.
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2
Start the Herbal Broth
5 Mins
Boiling, 100°C (212°F)
Return the ribs to the clean pot with the 2 litres of water, the whole garlic heads, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, dang gui, white peppercorns and red dates. Bring to the boil over high heat.
Keep the spices loose in the pot, not in a bag: they release more flavour, and you fish out the big pieces at the end.
Done when: A rolling boil with the garlic heads and spices visible in the water.
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3
Simmer Until Tender
1 Hr 45 Mins
Simmering, ~95°C (200°F)
Turn the heat down to the barest simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for about 1 hour 45 minutes. Skim occasionally and top up with boiling water if the level drops below the ribs. The meat should be well past the safe temperature of 63°C (145°F) and pulling away from the bone.
Keep the simmer gentle, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface — a hard boil makes the broth cloudy and the meat stringy.
Done when: Meat that yields when pressed with chopsticks and starts to pull away from the bone; broth dark, fragrant and herbal.
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4
Add Beancurd, Mushroom & Greens
15 Mins
Simmering, ~95°C (200°F)
Add the soaked beancurd sticks and shiitake and simmer 10 minutes so they drink up the broth. Add the choy sum for the last 3 minutes so it stays bright green and crisp-tender.
Do not add the greens early — they turn grey and limp in a long simmer.
Done when: Beancurd soft and soaked through, mushrooms tender, greens bright green.
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5
Season the Broth
5 Mins
Simmering, ~95°C (200°F)
Stir in 30 ml of the dark soy sauce, the light soy sauce, the rock sugar and the salt. Taste and adjust: the broth should be savoury and herbal first, with the dark soy giving colour and depth, not sweetness. Fish out the cinnamon stick, star anise and dang gui.
Season only at the end — the broth concentrates as it simmers, and salt added early can overshoot.
Done when: A dark, glossy broth that tastes savoury and herbal, with tender ribs.
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6
Mix the Chilli Dipping Sauce
5 Mins
No heat
While the soup simmers, stir the sliced red chillies into the remaining 15 ml of dark soy sauce in a small dish. Leave it to sit so the chilli heat moves into the sauce.
Make the sauce at least 10 minutes before serving — the chilli needs time to flavour the soy sauce.
Done when: A small dish of dark soy sauce flecked with red chilli, ready for dipping the ribs.
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7
Serve with Rice and Youtiao
5 Mins
No heat
Ladle the hot soup, ribs, beancurd, mushrooms and greens into bowls and serve at once with steamed jasmine rice, the youtiao fingers for dipping into the broth, and the chilli dipping sauce on the side.
Serve the youtiao at the last moment so it stays crisp until it hits the broth.
Done when: Steaming bowls of dark herbal soup, crisp youtiao, and rice ready on the table.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Scatter nothing on top — this soup needs no garnish. Bring it to the table steaming hot in its claypot or deep bowls, with rice, youtiao and the chilli sauce alongside, and let everyone dip and spoon at their own pace.
Malaysia
1h 10m
