Garlicky Pork Bone ‘Tea’

– BAK KUT TEH –

SINGAPORE

Bak kut teh literally translates as pork bone tea, but despite its name, there is no tea in the dish itself. The name came about because this hearty breakfast dish is often served with multiple cups of Chinese oolong tea. There are two main versions: the Hokkien version, which is more common in Malaysia, is dark and heavily spiced with Chinese tonic herbs; while the Singaporean Teochew version is very light and made with the simplest of ingredients – garlic and white pepper. The relatively short ingredients list for the latter belies its rich flavour; in fact, I find the Teochew clear broth shows off the flavour of the pork better (this, of course, is controversial and often heavily debated by the people of the two countries). Note that the amount of garlic and white pepper is not a typo; a bowl of this should really spice up your breath.

Serves 2–3

• 500g free-range pork ribs
• 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
• 2 bulbs of garlic
• 1 litre water
• sea salt, to taste

To serve

• a bunch of your favourite greens (optional)
• chopped fresh coriander
• 2–4 bird’s-eye chillies, chopped
• kecap manis (or, to substitute, equal amounts of light soy sauce and molasses)

1. Have your butcher cut the pork ribs into roughly 8cm long pieces. Blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until there is no more blood coming out, then drain and rinse. This will ensure a clearer broth later.
2. Meanwhile, lightly crush the white peppercorns by pressing down hard on them with the side of your knife. Separate the garlic into cloves but leave them whole, with their skins on.
3. Dry-toast the peppercorns in a large pot over a medium heat until fragrant. Add the blanched ribs, garlic and water and bring to the boil. Add 2 big pinches of sea salt, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Skim off any scum that floats to the surface. Let simmer for 1½ hours, until the meat is tender.
4. Check the seasoning, adding salt to taste. If serving with greens, ladle out a bit of the broth into a separate pot, bring to the boil, and blanch the greens. Serve the greens in a separate bowl in their own soup, as the flavour of the vegetables will leach into the broth.
5. Divide the pork ribs and soup between bowls and sprinkle with chopped coriander. Most hawkers don’t serve the garlic cloves but I think they are one of the best parts – mellow and sweet after the long cooking. Serve with plain steamed rice, and chopped chillies in kecap manis for dipping the pork into.