Spare Ribs and Chinese Turnips

Spare ribs and Chinese turnips is a dish I had often at home. It has a light flavor and a great pork broth, and is a great dish to have in the winter.

It's important to note that the "Chinese turnips" in this recipe aren't the same as the normal turnips you might be used to. It's actually a Daikon radish (Japanese radish, white radish, winter radish); the "turnip" is a bit of a mistranslation.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs spare ribs
  • The cut of spare ribs typically used for this recipe isn't one you see in American grocery stores, but can be found in Chinese grocery stores. The ribs are cut so the bones are very short, about 1 inch long - almost like riblets.
• 2-3 Daikon radishes (Chinese turnips)
  • If your radishes are small, use 3. If they're larger, stick with 2.
• 3 green onions, cut in half
• 2 slices of ginger root, peeled
• Salt

Dipping Sauce

• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Pinch of instant dashi (optional)

Directions

1. Cut the spare ribs in between the bones so you have individual riblet pieces.
2. Peel the radishes, and slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. In a large pot, add the ginger and the green onions.
4. Add the ribs to the pot.
5. Fill the pot with water so the ribs are just submerged.
6. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Add the radishes.
8. Add water until radishes are just submerged.
9. Raise the heat back to medium-high to bring back to a boil. Reduce to medium-low again, cover, and simmer for another 45 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat and add salt to taste. Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce with a small dash of sesame oil, and optionally a pinch of instant dashi.