Pork in Pumpkin Recipe (南瓜蒸排骨)

Pork in Pumpkin (南瓜蒸排骨):

• 300 g Pork ribs

• 300 g Squash (Japanese Kobocha Squash)

• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped

• 1 tbsp Spicy Bean Paste (Dou Ban Jiang)

• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp White vinegar

• 1 tbsp Green onions, chopped

Ingredients for pork rib marinade:

• 2 tsp Shaoxing Wine

• 1 tsp Oyster Sauce

• ½ tsp Sugar

• 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce

• 2 tsp Cornstarch

Steps

1. Soak pork ribs in water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp vinegar for 30 minutes This step will help to remove any odors from the pork and make the meat extra tender.

2. Pour the pork through a colander and rinse well. Let dry in a colander

3. Marinate pork with 2 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp oyster sauce, ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, and 2 tsp cornstarch for 15 minutes

4. Cut the peel off the squash and cut into 1 cm thick pieces

5. Layer the squash on the bottom of the steam pan

6. Place the pork on top of the squash, including any remaining marinade

7. In a pan or small pot, on medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil and three cloves of chopped garlic. Fry until aromatic, and add 1 tbsp of spicy bean paste. Mix well

8. Add garlic and spicy bean paste on top of the ribs

9. Steam on high heat for 10 minutes or until ribs are cooked

10. Garnish with chopped green onions

For Extra presentation points:

• Instead of cutting the squash into pieces, cut off the top of the pumpkin and carve out the inside (keeping the shape intact), dispose of the seeds and return the flesh inside the pumpkin and place the pork on top.

• Steam the whole pumpkin with all the marinade inside and garnish with chopped green onions

• Cut open like a cake when serving!

Recipe written by Dr. Eric Sun, DTCM, L.Ac

Box Acupuncture Traditional Chinese Medicine