Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Ribs

By now you probably already know how seriously we Taiwanese take our street foods. One of the most popular street food vendors is the fried food stand. But they are not the same kind of fried food stand you get at fairs around here. At a typical Taiwanese fried food stand, there will usually be around 10 to 15 different par-cooked dishes laid out — from chicken, pork, seafood, tempura and tofu to all kinds of veggies. Customers will grab a basket and mix and match to fill it up. Then we can choose to top it with different spices, seasonings and herbs. Two of the most popular items are the basil popcorn chicken and the salt-and-pepper pork ribs. If you know about Chinese food, then you know that anything that starts with “salt and pepper” is going to be good. Salt and Pepper Ribs are not only a street-food favorite, but they’re also a very common dish served in bento boxes in most takeouts in Taiwan. This week I’d like to share with you my recipe for this classic street food from my hometown.

You will need:

Ingredients: (Serves 2 people)

For the marinade:

1 lb. country-style ribs

1½ Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. cooking wine

2 Tbsp. cold water

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. corn starch

½ tsp. sesame oil

¼ tsp. Chinese five spice

¼ tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. white pepper

For breading:

½ cup sweet potato starch

1 egg

For toppings:

4 cloves garlic

2 hot peppers

3 scallions

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. white pepper

1/8 tsp. red pepper powder (or cayenne pepper)

1/8 tsp. salt

1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Direction:

Roughly cut ribs into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and toss in the ribs. Marinade in the refrigerator for an hour.  

 Meanwhile, cut up the garlic, pepper and scallions for the toppings.

Once the ribs have been marinated, crack in one large egg and ¼ cup sweet potato starch. Mix until all is combined.

On a separate plate toss the ribs in the remaining ¼ cup sweet potato starch.

In a large skillet or deep pot, heat up 2 cups vegetable oil to 350 F. Fry the ribs for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t remove the pan from the heat yet. The ribs will need to be fried again in a little bit.

In a separate large skillet, stir-fry the garlic, pepper and scallions along with 1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil for one minute. Stir in the black pepper, white pepper, red pepper and salt. Cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, place the ribs back in the frying oil on high heat and fry for 30 seconds. This will make the ribs extra crispy on the outside. Immediately transfer the ribs into the topping skillet, toss everything together and remove from the heat.

Serve while it’s warm, on its own or with rice.

Sponsored by The Free Press