About this Dish
Pork ribs simmered in a herbal broth of garlic, pepper and Chinese medicinal herbs — a breakfast dish eaten by Teochew labourers in early Singapore. The Singaporean version is peppery and clear. Served with rice, youtiao and strong Chinese tea.
IngredientsServes 2
🥩Pork ribs, 800g cut into individual pieces
🧄Garlic, 2 whole bulbs left unpeeled and lightly crushed
🫙Bak Kut Teh herb sachet, 1 packet (store-bought, containing dang gui, yu zhu, chuan xiong)
🌶️White peppercorns, 2 tablespoons lightly crushed
🍶Dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon
🧂Light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
🧂Salt, 1 teaspoon or to taste
💧Water, 1.5 litres
🍄Dried shiitake mushrooms, 4 soaked until soft
🫚Tofu puffs, 6 pieces halved
Method
1
Blanch the pork ribs in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes to remove impurities, then drain and rinse each piece under cold running water. This step is important for achieving a clean, clear broth.2
In a large pot, add 1.5 litres of fresh water and bring to the boil. Add the herb sachet, the whole crushed garlic bulbs and the crushed white peppercorns — the pepper is the soul of the Singaporean version so don't hold back.3
Add the cleaned pork ribs and soaked shiitake mushrooms to the pot. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.4
Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the pork is tender and starting to pull away from the bone. Top up with hot water if the broth reduces too much.5
Season the broth with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and salt. Add the tofu puffs in the last 10 minutes of cooking so they soak up all the flavour.6
Taste and adjust — the broth should be deeply peppery, savoury and lightly herbal with a clean finish. Remove the herb sachet before serving.7
Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot with steamed white rice, youtiao for dipping and a pot of strong Chinese tea on the side to cut through the richness.User Reviews
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