Tea-Scented Spare Ribs is a unique and impressive Chinese dish. The ribs are fried until crispy and tender, then stir-fried with tea leaves and spices. The tea aroma infuses the meat, cutting through the richness and adding a delightful fragrance. Every bite is a perfect blend of savory meat and aromatic tea.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 500g pork spare ribs (cut into small pieces)
· 10g tea leaves (black tea or oolong tea recommended)
🌴 Aromatics:
· 3 slices of ginger (for marinating)
· 1 stalk of scallion (for marinating)
· 3-4 cloves minced garlic
· 3-4 dried red chilies (cut into segments, optional)
· A small pinch of toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
🌴 Seasonings:
· 2 tbsp light soy sauce (about 20ml)
· 1 tbsp oyster sauce (about 10ml)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml, for marinating)
· 1 tsp sugar (about 5g, to enhance flavor)
· A pinch of white pepper powder
· Salt, to taste
· Cooking oil, as needed (for frying)
🌴 Instructions:
- Brew the Tea
Brew the tea leaves with hot water (about 80°C). Remove the tea leaves and drain them well. Let the tea liquid cool. ⚠️ Note: Keep the tea leaves for stir-frying later. - Marinate the Ribs
Wash and drain the ribs. Add ginger, scallion, cooking wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, salt, and 2 tbsp of the cooled tea liquid. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes. ⚠️ Note: The tea liquid makes the ribs more tender and adds a subtle tea aroma. - Fry the Ribs
Remove the ginger and scallion from the marinated ribs. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil to 160°C (about 60% hot). Fry the ribs over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain. ⚠️ Note: Don’t use high heat, or they will burn outside and stay raw inside. - Fry the Tea Leaves
Add a little oil to the pan, turn to low heat, and add the drained tea leaves. Fry slowly until crispy and fragrant. Remove and set aside. ⚠️ Note: Never use high heat, or the tea leaves will burn and turn bitter. - Combine and Serve
Add a little oil to the pan, sauté the minced garlic and dried chilies until fragrant. Add the fried ribs and crispy tea leaves. Stir-fry over high heat until combined. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. ⚠️ Note: Be quick to keep the ribs crispy and the tea aroma intact.
💡 More Savory and Irresistible Ribs:
If you enjoy these tea-scented spare ribs, you should also try my [Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs] for another incredibly delicious and crowd-pleasing dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Main Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Tea-Scented Spare Ribs is “crispy outside, tender inside, with a refreshing tea aroma.” Marinate the ribs with tea liquid for extra tenderness and flavor. Fry the tea leaves over low heat; never burn them. Be quick when combining to keep the texture crispy.
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