Chinese Country-Style Pork Ribs

Mid-September. Emma is twenty-eight weeks pregnant. The third trimester. The size of her belly is now genuinely interfering with normal movement. Daniel has been doing all the cooking. Ava has been helping with everything — fetching things, stirring things, narrating the unborn baby's presumed needs. Ava has been informing Ruby (still in utero) of the rules of the family for two months. "Ruby, you have to eat brisket. Ruby, you can't pull the cat's tail. Ruby, Ong Noi makes the best pho." She lectures the belly daily.

Linh's daughter Mei drove in from Dallas this weekend for a baby-shower-type gathering at Emma and Daniel's house. Just the women — Emma, Linh, Mei, Lily, Mai (who came for the first hour and then went home, accepted given her energy), Christine (yes, Christine, because Emma had insisted, and Mai had not objected, and the women have all crossed too much water to fight about it now), and Christine's sister Carol. Seven women. They drank tea. They ate cake. They told birth stories. They told mother-in-law stories (carefully edited, Mai was there for an hour). They gave Emma small useful presents. Daniel and I watched the kids in the backyard while the women had their event. It was the first time Christine and I had been in the same backyard since the kids were small and we still had to coordinate. We talked. Briefly. About Emma. About Doug (Christine's second husband, who is healthy, who is a good man, who I have grown to genuinely accept). We did not talk about the past. We did not need to.

Made rice porridge cháo for Emma Sunday — the easy-to-eat soft food that pregnant women in their third trimester appreciate, with shredded chicken and ginger and fish sauce. Delivered to her house. Ava was at the door waiting. Ava said, "Ong Noi, did you bring soup for Mommy and Ruby?" I said, "Yes, for Mommy and Ruby." Ava said, "Good. Ruby is hungry." Apparently Ava has direct line to Ruby's appetite. Family is family.

The cháo went to Emma and Ruby. But when I came home that Sunday evening, the house was quiet and I still needed to cook — not because anyone was hungry, but because that is what I do when something has moved me and I don’t have the words for it yet. Christine in the same backyard. Mei driving in from Dallas. Seven women telling their stories around a table. I pulled out the ribs I had thawed the night before and made the braise I have been making since before any of these children existed — soy, ginger, a little sugar, the slow heat doing the work my words never quite manage.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min | Total Time: 2 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs country-style pork ribs (bone-in or boneless)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, five-spice powder, garlic, and ginger in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Marinate the ribs. Place pork ribs in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour 3/4 of the marinade over the ribs, turning to coat well. Reserve remaining marinade. Cover and marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 8 hours refrigerated.
Sear the ribs. Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove ribs from marinade and sear in batches, 2—3 minutes per side, until browned. Do not crowd the pan. Transfer seared ribs to a plate.
Build the braise. Pour off excess fat from the pot, leaving a thin film. Add the reserved marinade and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return ribs to the pot in a single layer. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
Braise low and slow. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, turning ribs once halfway through, until pork is very tender and pulling away from the bone.
Reduce the sauce. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and tent with foil. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the braising liquid uncovered for 5—8 minutes until reduced to a glossy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve. Spoon sauce over ribs. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed white rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chinese Country-Style Pork Ribs — The Pot I Keep Ready for Family