Replicate the delicious zi char classic of pork ribs and bittergourd in black bean sauce in your own kitchen. To get that full-on flavour, it is best to deep-fry the ribs and bittergourd.
Which cut of pork should you use in this dish? Ask your butcher for a portion of the spare ribs which the Amercians refer to as St Louis-style cut. It is the flatter portion of a rack of spare ribs with the sternum bone, the cartilage and rib tips removed.
In Mandarin, it is called ‘nan pai’ which literally translates to “southern ribs”. For easier cooking, cut the ribs into bite sized pieces before cooking them.