Daikon & Pork Rib Soup

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 1: Put the pork ribs in a deep pot and add cold water to cover them by about 2–3cm. If you are sensitive to gaminess, add a slice of ginger and 15ml of cooking wine at the same time; for a cleaner-tasting broth, plain water alone is fine. Blanching ribs must start from cold water — starting hot tightens the surface quickly and makes the blood harder to draw out.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 2: Heat over medium-high. As the water warms, greyish scum gathers on the surface. Skim it gently from the edge of the pot toward the middle, then boil for about another minute once it reaches a full boil so the remaining blood scum has time to rise. Do not stir repeatedly before the scum has formed, or the impurities disperse into the water and the broth clouds more easily later.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 3: Lift out the ribs and rinse them quickly under running cold water to wash the clinging scum off the bone crevices and meat, then transfer to a colander. Spread the ribs on a shallow tray lined with kitchen paper and press the surface lightly to blot off obvious moisture. Dried ribs spit far less in the pan and take on a light golden colour more readily.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 4: Peel the daikon, quarter it lengthways, then cut crossways into quarter-round pieces about 1.5cm thick. Cut the ginger into slices 3–4mm thick. Take the more fragrant tender stems and leaves of the Chinese celery and cut into 3–5mm pieces, setting them aside separately. Daikon cut too thin falls apart as it simmers; too thick and the centre never softens through.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 5: Wipe the pot dry and pour in about 10ml of oil. Heat over medium until the oil just starts to move freely, then add 3–4 slices of ginger and nudge them so both sides meet the thin film of oil. Ginger fried to deep brown turns bitter — if the oil gets too hot, lift the pot off the heat briefly to cool it.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 6: Add the dried ribs, spreading them into a single layer as far as possible. Let one side sit against the pot for 60–90 seconds, then turn them piece by piece with tongs. There is no need to sear every side — irregular pale golden patches over about a third of the surface is enough. In a pot that is too small the ribs pile up and release water; sear in two short batches if you need to.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 7: Pour in boiling water, enough to sit about 2cm above the ribs, then push the ribs around once so they are evenly spread. Do not add cold water: it drops the pot temperature sharply and emulsifies the fat, leaving the broth looking milky and heavy.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 8: Keep the heat at medium-high and bring the soup back to the boil. If grain-sized pale grey froth and larger fat bubbles appear at the edge of the pot, skim the fine froth away with a clean skimmer. There is no need to remove the natural fat entirely — a few beads of it keep the meaty flavour of the ribs.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 9: Add the daikon pieces, pressing them gently into the broth, and bring it back to a gentle simmer. This version is written for soft, yielding daikon; if you prefer a slight bite, add it in the last 15 minutes of simmering instead. Do not stir vigorously — once the daikon breaks up, the broth clouds much more easily.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 10: Once the soup returns to a bare simmer, turn the heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes. Checking once or twice is enough; if the level drops too far, top up with a small amount of hot water only.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 11: Add salt and white pepper to taste, stir gently and taste the broth, then adjust. Simmer for another 1–2 minutes so the salt works evenly through the soup. Do not salt too early — after long evaporation it turns oversalted and the ribs go stringy. Too much white pepper at once leaves a powdery, harsh edge.

Daikon & Pork Rib Soup | Step 12: Turn off the heat and scatter in most of the Chinese celery; do not let it cook long. Leave to stand for about a minute, then ladle out and enjoy.