Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶

Bah Kut Teh, literally "pork rib tea", is a favourite among the Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese. It is not uncommon to have BKT for breakfast and you could even find stalls selling BKT for late night supper in Singapore!

There are a few variations of BKT, the Teochew version is usually a clear soup with lots of pepper and garlic while the Hokkien BKT has a much darker broth and a strong herbal taste. BKT is often eaten with Chinese fritters (Yau Char Kwai) and goes well with white or yam rice. Tea is usually served at the end of the meal to help to dissolve the fats which are consumed in the eating of this dish.

It has been raining non-stop here in Sydney for the past three days and BKT, known for improving blood circulation and energy, is a comforting food to warm us up in the chilly winter.

Ingredients

400g meaty pork ribs

2 whole heads of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 litre water

1 packet of Bak Kut Teh soup mix

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Below: The herbal ingredients found in Bak Kut Teh soup mix.

Method

Par boil the pork ribs in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes to remove excess fats and scum. Remove pork ribs and set aside. Combine ribs, garlics, spice packet and water in another pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or till ribs are tender, stirring occasionally.

Dish and serve with white rice.

Note: Salt has been omitted as the soup tasted just great. The soup has turned into a nice brown because of the herbs, no soy sauce has been added. I have removed the spice packet half way through the simmering process as I prefer a less peppery soup.

Below: Stir-fried choy sum to go with the Bak Kut Teh.

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