Braised Pork Ribs with Pumpkin

Pork and pumpkin are good partners to produce an appealing dish. Here it’s one of my favourite dishes, Braised Pork Ribs with Pumpkin.

Whenever I go shopping for groceries, I’d often buy a pumpkin back home because their shape and colour are beautiful, taste heavenly sweet, as well as they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

After moving to Australia, I have been addicted to eating pumpkin whether it’s cooked in Western or Asian way. There are several different kinds of pumpkin? Which kind is the best? One of my friends said that butternut squash is the best.

Yeah, I agree with her. For me, it’s also the best kind to bake in an oven. When it comes to cooking them in Asian way, I just feel the Jap/Kent pumpkin is the most suitable for being braised with meat.

Here it’s one of my favourite dishes, Braised Pork Ribs with Pumpkin. Just a side note, I found lots of Chinese food blogs out there that are praising the combination of pork and pumpkin. It seems that pork and pumpkin are good partners to produce an appealing dish.

Do you like eating pumpkin? Which kind of pumpkin do you like the most?

Braised Pork Ribs with Pumpkin Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Braised, Pork
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 330 gm pumpkin, peeled and deseeded
• 320 gm pork ribs
• 2 tsp black bean garlic sauce 
• hot water, to adjust

Marinade:

• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp corn flour / corn starch
• ½ tsp Shaoxing wine
• sesame oil, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Thickening:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp corn flour / corn starch
• 2 Tbsp water
• a dash sesame oil

Method:

1. Rinse pork ribs and drain well. Cut into chunks, about 1 1/2 inch in length. Mix with seasoning for 30 minutes. Cut pumpkin into 2-inch chunks.
2. Heat oil in a wok or deep frypan. Sauté black bean garlic sauce over medium heat until aromatic. Add pork ribs and cook until lightly brown. Add hot water, just cover the pork ribs and bring it to a boil. Simmer on low heat until tender. Test it with a chopstick. You can insert a chopstick into the meat easily, then it’s soft enough. Add pumpkin to cook until softened. Replenish hot water if necessary. The amount of water you add depends on how high the power of your stove. And the cooking time would also depend on how soft the pumpkin you like. Yet, don’t overcook the pumpkin. When all ingredients are cooked and softened, about one third of water left with pork and pumpkin, pour in thickening and cook the consistency to your preference. Dish up and serve hot.

Notes：

• You can keep the skin of pumpkin intact and cook with pork ribs if desired. Great taste and more nutrients you may enjoy then.
• Don't throw the pumpkin seeds away. They are goodies. You can rinse and drain them well. Let dry overnight. Place pumpkin seeds on a greased baking pan and bake in a preheated 170C (350F) for 10 to 20 minutes.  Eat them as they are or bake cakes or muffins with them.