Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood ear fungus

I bought this yam/taro from a wet market and the lady assured me that her yams are creamy when cooked.  She cut off a very small piece to justify her statement and true enough I saw some powdery substance on the knife.  It can be very frustrating when you end up getting a yam that's firm even when cooked for yams have a hardy taste with a minimal amount of sweetness.  But if you pair it up with some meat and fermented bean curd, the dish will be transformed into a tasty delicacy.

Recipe for Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood Ear Fungus

Ingredients


• 750 gm Yam/Taro, peeled and cut into chunks
• 450 gm pork ribs, marinated with some seasalt
• 30 gm wood ear fungus, soaked, stemmed and cut into strips
• 2 pieces fermented beancurd (Nam Yue), mashed with some water
• 1 small knob ginger, smashed
• 5 cups water or more
• 1/2  tsp  dark soya sauce
• Salt and sugar to taste
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
Method
1. In a wok, saute the smashed ginger with some oil, add in the marinated pork ribs.  Fry lightly and add in the mashed fermented beancurd paste.
2. Pour in 3 cups of water, cover and simmer till pork ribs are quite tender.
3. Add in the woodear fungus followed by the yam chunks.  Add in another 2 cups water and simmer till the pork ribs are tender and the yam softened.
4. Fine tune to taste with salt and sugar and add in 1/2 tsp dark soya sauce if desired.
5. Drizzle in some Shaoxing wine and turn off heat.
6. Dish up and serve with white rice.









I'm linking this post to the Little Thumbs Up 'Soy' event organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Mich of  Piece of  Cake.