Bak Kut Teh
A fragrant pork rib soup simmered with a herbal-spice broth, whole garlic and white pepper. A Hokkien Chinese dish, it is most strongly associated with Malaysia (Klang) and Singapore, and appears here in the book's Chinese section. The source page carried only a photo, so a faithful classic method has been reconstructed.
⏱️ Prep: 20 min🍳 Cook: 120 min
Ingredients
| 2 pounds | 905 g | meaty pork ribs, cut into pieces |
| 1 | bak kut teh herbal spice packet (or a mix of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, angelica/dang gui and goji berries) | |
| 2 | whole garlic bulbs, unpeeled | |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | white peppercorns, lightly crushed |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | dark soy sauce |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | light soy sauce |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | rock sugar |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | salt |
| 2 liters | water | |
| 6 | dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked | |
| 8 | fried tofu puffs | |
| 1 handful | enoki mushrooms | |
| — | lettuce leaves, to serve | |
| — | steamed rice, to serve |
Instructions
(Reconstructed classic method — the source page carried only a photo.)
- Blanch the pork ribs in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse the ribs clean.
- Return the ribs to a large clean pot. Add the whole garlic bulbs, crushed white peppercorns, the bak kut teh herbal spice packet and the water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1.5-2 hours, until the pork is very tender and the broth is deeply fragrant.
- Add the soaked shiitake mushrooms and season the broth with dark and light soy sauce, rock sugar and salt. Adjust to taste.
- Add the tofu puffs and enoki mushrooms and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
- Just before serving, wilt in the lettuce leaves. Serve the soup piping hot with steamed rice and a dipping sauce of light soy sauce with chopped fresh chilies.