Ready Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hrs
Serves: 6-8 mains
Karen Martini Award
winning chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter
'I love these ribs! They are a never fail dinner party dish because you just throw everything in a pot and ignore it until your guests arrive. The meat is so rich and unctuous, but the broth is punchy and intense'.
Karen was the founding chef at the critically acclaimed The Melbourne Wine Room and Sydney's Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. As executive chef of both restaurants, she held two chef's hats in Sydney and Melbourne. After 15 years at The Melbourne Wine Room, Karen and her partner, Michael Sapountsis sold in 2011 to pursue new projects. Karen and Michael still own and run St Kilda's much loved pizzeria, mr. wolf which they launched in 2004.
Karen was the food editor for The Age's Sunday Life Magazine for 6 years, has contributed several articles to The Australian, and is the current food editor for The Age's Epicure/ Good Living lift out. Karen is the author of the cookbooks, Home, Everyday, The Karen Martini Collection, Feasting, Cooking at Home and Where the Heart is. For the last eight years, Karen has been resident chef on Australia's longest running lifestyle television series Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients
- 25 grams dried shrimp
- 200 ml Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 300 ml oyster sauce
- 100 ml soy sauce
- 5 lime leaves
- 10 cm piece ginger, julienned
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper
- 250 ml water
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 50 grams dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 2 star anise
- 4 red bullet chillies, split
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 8 pork spare ribs
Method
1. Press FUNCTION button then select SLOW COOK, ensuring indicator light illuminates.
2. Turn TIME dial to 3 hours.
3. Turn TEMPERATURE dial to HIGH. Press the START button.
4. Pound the dried shrimp using a mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine powder and looks fluffy.
5. To make the rib sauce, place all the ingredients into a casserole dish and combine well. Toss ribs in the sauce to coat evenly. Cover well with foil.
6. When preheating has completed, place the casserole dish in the Smart Oven Pro for 3 hours.
7. Take out the casserole dish, remove the cooked soft ribs and skim excess fat from the top of the liquid. Return the ribs to the sauce.
8. Serve with steamed long grain rice, simple Asian greens or a fresh zingy Asian-style slaw.