Chinese Cuisine
Braised Spare Ribs with Lotus Root and Mushrooms
Tender spare ribs slowly braised in beer with lotus root, assorted mushrooms, and aromatic spices. A rich and comforting one-pot dish with deep savory flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Total
- 2 hours
Quick Recipe Summary
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Category
- Chinese Cuisine
- Method
- Stir-fry
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Main Ingredient
- Spare Ribs
About This Recipe
Tender spare ribs slowly braised in beer with lotus root, assorted mushrooms, and aromatic spices. A rich and comforting one-pot dish with deep savory flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses a steady cooking method that helps the ingredients absorb flavor gradually.
- Breaks the method into manageable steps instead of assuming you already know the technique.
- Good for learning how seasoning and simmering build flavor over time.
- Gives the dish a clear savory flavor profile without making the method feel complicated.
- Useful as a reference recipe because the steps explain both what to do and what to watch for.
Ingredients
- 650 g Spare Ribs
- 350 g Lotus Root
- 1 Carrot
- 500 ml Beer
- A handful Celery Leaves
- 2 stalks Scallions
- 100 g Enoki Mushrooms
- 4 Brown Mushrooms
- 100 g Straw Mushrooms
- 6 slices Ginger
- 3 Cloves
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
- 2 Star Anise
- 1 small piece Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Nutmeg
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Dried Red Chili
- 1 piece Dried Tangerine Peel
- 4 pieces Rock Sugar
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- A few drops Sesame Oil
Ingredient Notes
These notes explain the role of the main ingredients so the recipe is easier to adjust.
Spare Ribs
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
Lotus Root
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
Carrot
Vegetables bring texture and freshness; cut them evenly so they cook or ferment at a similar pace.
Beer
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
Ingredients & Techniques Used in This Recipe
These guides explain the key sauces, ingredients, and cooking techniques used in this recipe, so you can understand the dish instead of only following steps.
Sauce
Shaoxing Wine
Chinese cooking wine used in marinades, stir-fries, braises, and sauces.
Sauce
Oyster Sauce
A savory sauce for glossy stir-fries, vegetables, marinades, and meat dishes.
Sauce
Dark Soy Sauce
Used in small amounts for darker color, gloss, and deeper soy flavor.
Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
The everyday soy sauce for salt, umami, marinades, and stir-fry seasoning.
Sauce
Sesame Oil
A finishing oil that adds nutty aroma to soups, noodles, fillings, and cold dishes.
Ingredient
Sichuan Peppercorn
The citrusy, numbing spice behind many Sichuan dishes.
Ingredient
Enoki Mushroom
A thin mushroom used in hot pot, soups, stir-fries, and cold dishes.
Ingredient
Lotus Root
A crisp root vegetable used in soups, stir-fries, salads, and braised dishes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Cut the spare ribs into large chunks. Place them in cold water with a splash of cooking wine and bring to a boil to blanch.
Step 2
Drain the ribs and rinse away any foam or impurities with hot water.
Step 3
Clean the brown mushrooms and straw mushrooms, then tear or cut them into large bite-sized pieces.
Step 4
Place ginger slices, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, black cardamom, dried red chili, and dried tangerine peel into a spice bag and seal it.
Step 5
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add rock sugar and cook until melted and lightly caramelized.
Step 6
Add the blanched ribs and stir-fry until lightly browned.
Step 7
Add the prepared mushrooms and stir-fry briefly.
Step 8
Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and scallions.
Step 9
Place the spice bag into the pot and pour in the beer.
Step 10
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat and braise for about 1 hour.
Step 11
After about 55 minutes of braising, peel and cut the lotus root and carrot into large chunks.
Step 12
Add the lotus root and enoki mushrooms. Cover and continue braising for 15 minutes.
Step 13
Add the carrot pieces and cook for another 5 minutes until tender.
Step 14
Sprinkle with celery leaves and drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil.
Step 15
Serve hot and enjoy.
Cooking Tips
- Adjust the cooking time of the vegetables according to your preferred texture. Rinse blanched ribs with hot water rather than cold water to keep the meat tender. Use spices sparingly to avoid bitterness. Enoki mushrooms are optional and can be omitted or replaced with other mushrooms.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it with steamed rice when you want a simple Chinese home-cooked meal.
- Add a light soup or cold vegetable side if the stir-fry is salty, spicy, or saucy.
- Keep rice or noodles ready before cooking because stir-fries are best served immediately.
Recipe Card
Tender spare ribs slowly braised in beer with lotus root, assorted mushrooms, and aromatic spices. A rich and comforting one-pot dish with deep savory flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
- 650 g Spare Ribs
- 350 g Lotus Root
- 1 Carrot
- 500 ml Beer
- A handful Celery Leaves
- 2 stalks Scallions
- 100 g Enoki Mushrooms
- 4 Brown Mushrooms
- 100 g Straw Mushrooms
- 6 slices Ginger
- 3 Cloves
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
- 2 Star Anise
- 1 small piece Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Nutmeg
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Dried Red Chili
- 1 piece Dried Tangerine Peel
- 4 pieces Rock Sugar
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- A few drops Sesame Oil
Method
- Cut the spare ribs into large chunks. Place them in cold water with a splash of cooking wine and bring to a boil to blanch.
- Drain the ribs and rinse away any foam or impurities with hot water.
- Clean the brown mushrooms and straw mushrooms, then tear or cut them into large bite-sized pieces.
- Place ginger slices, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, black cardamom, dried red chili, and dried tangerine peel into a spice bag and seal it.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add rock sugar and cook until melted and lightly caramelized.
- Add the blanched ribs and stir-fry until lightly browned.
- Add the prepared mushrooms and stir-fry briefly.
- Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and scallions.
- Place the spice bag into the pot and pour in the beer.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat and braise for about 1 hour.
- After about 55 minutes of braising, peel and cut the lotus root and carrot into large chunks.
- Add the lotus root and enoki mushrooms. Cover and continue braising for 15 minutes.
- Add the carrot pieces and cook for another 5 minutes until tender.
- Sprinkle with celery leaves and drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
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