Tangcu Paigu (chinese Sweet And Sour Lamb Ribs)

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 1/4 lbs lamb baby back ribs, cut into one-inch segments (get this done at the meat counter)
• 1/2 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine (optional)
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 green onions, shredded (optional)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons chinese black vinegar (or substitute balsamic vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 3 t cold water (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
• peanut oil, for deep-frying

Recipe

• 1 separate the ribs if the butcher hasn't already done so. they should be roughly bite-size.
• 2 marinate ribs with wine and soy sauce for 30 minutes.
• 3 remove ribs from marinade, reserving marinade for later.
• 4 heat peanut oil (about 6 cups) in wok until it's almost smoking.
• 5 deep fry ribs for 2 minutes, remove from oil with slotted spoon, reheat oil, and fry for another 1/2 minute until brown. (this is pei mei's method. bruce cost recommends deep-frying for 5-8 minutes.) remove ribs from oil.
• 6 pour oil out of wok into a heatproof bowl (stainless steel or glass). (once it's cool, you can strain it into glass jar for next time).
• 7 to soy sauce marinade, add sugar, vinegar, corn starch mixture, sesame oil, and green onion to make sweet-sour sauce.
• 8 heat one tablespoon of oil in the wok, pour in the sweet-sour sauce, and boil and stir until thickened.
• 9 throw ribs into the wok with the sauce, and stir to coat thoroughly.
• 10 serve on a platter, hot or at room temperature.
• 11 as the sole meat dish, this is enough for 2-3 people, but as part of a full meal with a variety of dishes, it serves up to 8 or 10.