Ingredients

• 750g Australian pork prime ribs

Spice Mix 1

• 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 2 tsp rock salt or salt flakes
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 4-6 hot dried chillies

Spice Mix

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Prime Ribs

• 3 tsp combined spice mix 1 and 2 (see method)
• 2 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 knob (10g) ginger, finely grated
• 1-2 pieces of fermented tofu (“Fu Yü)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp potato starch

Coating

• 3/4 cup potato starch
• Pinch of salt

Topping

• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• Bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Method

1. Place all Spice Mix 1 ingredients in a dry pan and sauté over medium heat until toasted and fragrant, cool then grind finely.
2. Add Spice Mix 2 to the cooled down Spice Mix 1. Grind briefly to blend. Set aside.
3. To prepare the pork prime ribs, rinse to and pat dry with paper towels. Then marinate with prime ribs ingredients.
4. Mix well then set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
5. Remove the marinated ribs from the fridge and toss each piece well in the potato starch/salt mix ensuring each piece is well coated. Place on a rack to set for about 10 minutes.
6. Deep-fry until lightly golden. Remove onto a rack for 10 minutes. Then increase the heat to 180C and fry briefly again until golden and even more crispy.
7. In a wok, toss in the topping ingredients and fry for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the crispy pork, sprinkle over a few more pinches of the combined spice mix and maybe a pinch more salt if needed. Toss well and serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.