Bak Kut Teh (peppery pork rib soup)
Pork ribs simmered for hours in a clear broth of garlic, white pepper and warm spices, comforting and deeply savoury.
- Time2 hr
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £3.25 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the ribs in a large pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse the ribs to remove the scum.
- 2
Tie the peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and fennel in a square of muslin, or use a large tea infuser.
- 3
Return the ribs to the clean pan with the spice bag, garlic bulbs, shiitake mushrooms and the 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a simmer.
- 4
Cover and cook very gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the meat is falling from the bone. Add the 3 tablespoons of tamari and the sugar for the last 15 minutes.
75 min - 5
Meanwhile, cook the rice following the pack. Mix the chilli with the extra tamari for dipping.
- 6
Add the tofu puffs, enoki and pak choi to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Fish out the spice bag. Season with extra pepper.
5 min - 7
Ladle into bowls with a whole softened garlic bulb to share. Serve with rice and the chilli dip.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.