Plum pork ribs, a special dish that combines sweet and sour and crispy taste, can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. At that time, as a common snack and condiment, it was deeply loved by people, and its unique sweet and sour taste was ingeniously added to meat cooking, and there are today's plum pork ribs. Li Shizhen, a physician of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that the plum has the effect of quenching thirst, strengthening the spleen and appetizing, and the combination of nourishing and strengthening pork ribs undoubtedly enhances the overall nutritional value of the dish. An unknown housewife was perhaps the first to try to stew plum and pork ribs, and her innovation has made the dish a modern classic.
**COOKING STEPS**
1. **Prepare Materials**
- Pork ribs (500g), chopped into small pieces of about 5cm, preferably with a certain ratio of fat and lean.
- Plum (15 capsules), soak for half an hour in advance until softened.
- Rock sugar (30 grams) for sautéing sugar color.
- Ginger (1 piece, about 15 grams), pat loose and slice.
- Cooking wine (30 ml), soy sauce (50 ml), water (to taste).
2. **Preliminary Processing**
- Step 1: Blanch the pork ribs in a pot under cold water, add a few slices of ginger, skim off the foam and drain.
- Step 2: Add rock sugar to the pan, simmer over low heat until the red sugar solution appears, quickly add the pork ribs and fry until the color is even.
3. **Stew to taste**
- Step 3: Pour in the soaked plum and its soaking water, and then add enough water to cover the ribs.
- Step 4: Add soy sauce, remaining ginger slices and cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium-low heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the ribs are soft.
4. **Collect the juice and put it on a plate**
- Step 5: When the soup is thick, adjust the taste, add sugar or salt according to the taste, then reduce the juice on high heat, and finally sprinkle with chopped green onions to garnish, and then serve on the plate.
The secret of the deliciousness of the plum pork ribs lies in the mutual penetration of the sweetness and sourness of the plum and the flavor of the pork ribs. The use of sugar color adds shine and caramel aroma to the dish, while the fruit acids released during the stewing process not only neutralize the oiliness of the meat, but also make it easier to digest and absorb, while giving the ribs a unique flavor.
**Precautions**
- Blanch the ribs in a pot under cold water to better force the blood and impurities.
- Pay attention to the heat when frying the sugar to prevent the sugar from becoming bitter.
- Do not dry up completely during the juice collection stage, and leave a part of the rich soup to serve with the pork ribs.
The same pork ribs can also be used to make braised pork ribs, sweet and sour pork ribs and other flavors, and can also be stewed with other meats such as chicken wings and pig's trotters to form a unique delicacy.
**TIPS**
- During the simmering process, you can first boil over high heat and then turn to low heat and simmer slowly, so that the pork ribs can fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning and keep the meat tender.
- Use a casserole to stew to lock in the original juice of the ingredients and enhance the overall taste.
When you make this dish with your own hands, you can hear the sound of the ribs clashing gently in the pan, smell the sweet and sour aroma that permeates the whole kitchen, see the crystal clear sauce wrapping the tempting ribs, feel the delicate meat that melts in your mouth and the sweetness and sourness brought by the plum, all these make people indulge in the multi-sensory enjoyment brought by this dish. From now on, you may wish to bring the plum pork ribs into your daily cooking and make your table glow with new vitality and color.