Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Soup)

Name: Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 1 lb Pork Shoulder; 1 lb Pork Ribs; 1 whole Garlic Bulb; 3 slices Ginger Slices; 4 pieces Black Dates; 4 pieces Red Dates; 2 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; ½ tsp White Pepper; to taste Salt; 10 cups Water; 1 tsp Fennel Seeds; 2 pieces Star Anise; 1 tsp Cloves; 1 piece Cinnamon Sticks; ½ tsp Sichuan Peppercorns; 1 piece Dried Shiitake Mushroom; 1 piece Angelica Root; 1 piece Licorice Root; 1 piece Solomon Seal; 1 piece Dried Radix Codonopsis; 1 tbsp Dried Gocused; 1 oz Enoki Mushrooms; 2 pieces Tofu Skin; 2 leafs Lettuce Leaves

SINGAPOREAN·NON-VEGSource

A comforting and flavorful pork rib soup, simmered with aromatic herbs and spices for a deeply savory broth.

4h 15m4Servings

Nutrition

589kcal

45gProtein

25gCarbs

35gFat

Ingredients

SOUP

Pork Shoulder

1 lb

Pork Ribs

1 lb

Garlic Bulb

1 whole

Ginger Slices

3 slices

Black Dates

4 pieces

Red Dates

4 pieces

Soy Sauce

2 tbsp

Dark Soy Sauce

1 tbsp

White Pepper

½ tsp

Salt

to taste

Water

10 cups

HERBAL SPICE BAG

Fennel Seeds

1 tsp

Star Anise

2 pieces

Cloves

1 tsp

Cinnamon Sticks

1 piece

Sichuan Peppercorns

½ tsp

Dried Shiitake Mushroom

1 piece

Angelica Root

1 piece

Licorice Root

1 piece

Solomon Seal

1 piece

Dried Radix Codonopsis

1 piece

Dried Gocused

1 tbsp

FOR SERVING

Enoki Mushrooms

1 oz

Tofu Skin

2 pieces

Lettuce Leaves

2 leafs

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Instructions

1Prepare the Pork

10m

Blanch Pork

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pork shoulder and pork ribs. Boil for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain the pork and rinse under cold water. Discard the boiling water.

2Prepare the Spice Bag

Assemble Spice Bag

Place all the ingredients for the herbal spice bag into a cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve. Tie it securely to form a bag.

3Simmer the Soup

Combine Ingredients

Place the blanched pork, whole garlic bulb, ginger slices, black dates, and red dates into a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the herbal spice bag.

Add Water and Simmer

Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 4 hours, or until the pork is very tender.

Add Seasonings

Stir in the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and white pepper. Season with salt to taste.

Continue Simmering

Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

4Prepare Serving Components

Prepare Tofu Skin

Rinse the fried tofu puffs or tofu skin in hot water to remove excess oil.

Prepare Enoki Mushrooms

Separate the enoki mushrooms and rinse them.

5Serve

Ladle into Bowls

Remove the spice bag and garlic bulb from the pot. Ladle the soup, pork, tofu puffs, enoki mushrooms, and lettuce leaves into individual serving bowls.

Serve Hot

Serve immediately with white rice or fried dough sticks (youtiao).

Tips

For a richer broth, you can simmer the soup for longer, up to 6 hours.

Adjust the amount of soy sauce and salt to your personal preference.

If you don't have a Dutch oven, a large heavy-bottomed pot will also work.

The pork can be blanched in advance to save time during the main cooking process.

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