This might not be one of the attractive picture I have ever posted, but it’s definitely one of the recipe we need the most ~ especially this period seems to be common cold and seasonal flu seems to be affecting alot of people, including myself.
Apple and Pear Pork Rib Soup (清热苹果雪梨排骨汤) is one of my favourite soup ~ made with Apple, pear, almond kernels, honey dates, wolfberries and pork rib. Natural sweetness from the fruits elevated the complexity of the soup, in addition to the richness of the broth from the bones after hours of rolling boil. Plus the meat is so tender. This soup is Da Bomb. Also, the addition of the sweet and bitter almond kernels which is very good for cough (and also good for our skin complexion).
Oh did I mention that I think it taste exactly (or maybe 99%) like the one you can get from 老火汤?
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Making this soup only requires simple ingredients and the steps are easy. To get a milky clear soup, you must parboil the ribs and bone to remove impurities and scum. Also, the soup must be rolling boil for 2 hours to break down the marrow, calcium etc from the bone to obtain a milky broth. Add/substitute pork knuckle/trotter for a collagen milky broth.
1st, prepare a pot of water that is enough to submerge all the bones and ribs
Put over the stove and bring it to boil under medium high heat. Once boil, wash the ribs and bone under running tap water to remove all the impurities
After cleaning, use a pot that is big enough to contain all the ingredients plus at least 1.5 litres of water.
Add in all the ingredients for the soup into the pot
You need more than 1.5 litres of water. However, pour in 1.5 litres 1st and remember the 1.5 litres mark. Add more water when necessary but ensure that when the soup is ready to serve, the broth should be at the 1.5 litres mark.
Allow it to boil under medium to medium high heat for at least 2 hours until the broth become slightly creamy and opaque. If you do not have the luxury of time to keep watching over the stove, you can reduce the fire to low and let it simmer for 2 hours. However, the soup will not have the milky colour.
Remove any floating scum along the way
This is how the soup will be after 2 hours of rolling boil.
Enjoy!
- 400g Pork Big Bone
- 500g Pork Prime Ribs/ Pork Ribs
- 12g Sweet Almond Kernels (南杏)
- 4g Bitter Almond Kernels (北杏)
- 5g Wolfberries
- 2 Pieces Honey Dates
- 2 Medium Apples (Cut into wedges and remove the core)
- 1 Medium Snow Pear/ Brown Pear (Cut into wedges and remove the core)
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt
- 1.5 litres of water (and more )
- In an empty pot, add in the pork ribs and pork bones
- Fill with water, enough to submerge the pork ribs and bones in the water.
- Bring to boil over medium high heat
- Turn of the heat and remove it from the stove
- Discard the water; rinse and wash the bones and ribs until it is totally scum-free
- Add all the ingredients (including the washed bones and ribs) into an empty pot that can hold at least 1.5 litres of water and the ingredients
- Add 1.5 litres of water and remember the 1.5 litres water level. Add more water along the way as water will evaporate during 2 hours of boiling.
- Boil the soup under medium high heat (preferably throughout the 2 hours for a milkier soup)
- The soup should remain at the 1.5 litres of water after 2 hours of boiling (if more than 1.5 litres, continue to boil till reduce. If lesser than 1.5 litres, add more water till it reach the 1.5 litres mark)
- Serve hot and enjoy