BAK KUT THE
Originally from Malaysia, Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib and Chinese herb soup meal. Easy, authentic and hearty are just some of the adjectives you’ll use to describe this handmade meal.
Bak Kut Tea, also known as Pork Bone Tea, is a soup popular in China and Malaysia. This aromatic soup is created with dried Shitake mushrooms, tofu puffs, and pork ribs infused with Dong Quai, cinnamon and star anise and flavored with garlic and Dong Quai oil.
This recipe requires a few hours of simmering, but the ultimate product is worth the wait. A clay pot is the perfect cooking utensil for this dish. Bak Kut Teh is a favorite of mine because of its intense flavor and heartiness.
Save some for the next day’s breakfast if you use my recipe to avoid wasting any.
There is a crescendo in the flavor of the herbs and spices the next day. Bak Kut Teh that has sat in the fridge overnight tastes even better than fresh.
Enjoy every mouthful of the soup until there is no more left to appreciate.
Each serving of this recipe has only 260 calories.
INGREDIENTS:
- 400 g of pork ribs
- 6 dried shitake mushrooms, cut into halves
- 4 cups of water
- 1 pack or pre-packed Bak Kut Teh herbs
- 2 heads of garlic
- 1 cup tofu puffs, sliced into halves
SEASONING:
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 3 dashes of white pepper powder
- salt
DIPPING SAUCE:
- 4-5 sliced bird’s eyes chilies or Thai chilies
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Indonesian ABC sweet soy sauce
INSTRUCTIONS:
- A large clay pot or soup pot should be used to bring the water to a boil. Simmer for about 1 to 2 hours on low heat with the garlic and Bak Kut Teh herbs before adding pork ribs, mushrooms, and tofu.
- Mix the Dipping Sauce ingredients together. Set aside in a small serving dish for condiments.
- Simmer for an additional ten minutes with the Seasoning ingredients. Dish up right away, drizzling with Dipping Sauce.