Ingredients
1000 g (about 2.2 lbs) pork spare ribs with skin, 250 g (about 8 oz) pea shoots.
Seasonings
30 g Shaoxing wine, 25 g yellow wine, 20 g rock sugar, 12 g MSG, 10 g each salt, scallion, and ginger, 7 g star anise, 3 g cloves, and red yeast rice water to taste.
Instructions
1. Clean and scrape the pork belly, then blanch it in boiling water until the blood is cooked out. Remove and place skin-side up. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern with 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) squares, cutting deep enough to reach the first layer of lean meat.
2. Place a bamboo mat in a clay pot, then add the pork skin-side up, along with pork broth, scallions, ginger, Shaoxing wine, salt, and red yeast rice water. Cover and cook over high heat for about 30 minutes, then add rock sugar, cover again, and reduce to low heat to braise for 1 hour until tender. Add more rock sugar, then increase to medium heat and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, discard the scallions and ginger, take out the ribs, and transfer the pork to a serving platter with the skin facing up. Pour the reduced sauce over the top.
3. Separately, stir-fry pea shoots with seasonings until bright green, then arrange them around the pork pieces. This dish features tender, rich meat that is flavorful yet not greasy, with a sweet and savory balance.