Name: Braised Lamb in Black Bean Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6 oz beancurd sticks ((170g)); 2 racks lamb ribs ((about 3 lbs/1.35kg)); 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 inch ginger ((minced) (30g)); 2 cloves garlic ((minced)); 2 tbsp fermented black beans ((50g)); 1 tsp chili paste; ¾ cup water ((180ml)); 1 tsp cornstarch (mix with 2 tbsp water); 3 green onions ((cut into 2 inch lengths))

Asian style Braised Lamb in Black Bean Sauce cooked with beancurd sticks to soak up all the wonderful flavors of the meat and sauce. Great with rice.

Lamb has a strong flavor and is generally seldom eaten by the Chinese. Hence, there aren’t that many recipes out there featuring lamb. However, it is popular in the Xinjiang Province in north western China where the people there make lamb skewers, pilafs, and hot pots. For those of us who grew up in Southeast Asia, lamb is either grilled or roasted Western style or cooked Indian or Malay style in a curry.

Lamb Ribs

While grocery shopping recently, I came across this packet of lamb ribs at a very reasonable price. I decided to bring it home not knowing how I will cook it at that point. When I got home, I figured that braising it in black bean sauce may work since lamb has a strong flavor. While 3 pounds of ribs sounds like a lot, it really isn’t that much meat once it is cooked. I threw in a bunch of beancurd sticks to bulk it up and also to soak up some of that flavorful sauce. Lamb can be quite oily and so I had to skim off some of that fat while it was braising. Finally, to give the dish some color I garnished it with green onions cut into 2 inch lengths. It looked really good and I was happy with the results.

Tools Used in Making This Braised Lamb in Black Bean Sauce

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Japanese Style Earthen Donabe Clay Pot 10 inches
Wood Spatula Turner Set (Straight+Diagonal)
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup

Braised Lamb in Black Bean Sauce

Asian style Braised Lamb in Black Bean Sauce cooked with beancurd sticks to soak up all the wonderful flavors of the meat and sauce. Great with rice.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: braised lamb in black bean sauce

Servings:

Calories: 1166kcal

Author: Linda Ooi

INGREDIENTS

6 oz beancurd sticks (170g)
2 racks lamb ribs (about 3 lbs/1.35kg)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 inch ginger (minced) (30g)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp fermented black beans (50g)
1 tsp chili paste
¾ cup water (180ml)
1 tsp cornstarch mix with 2 tbsp water
3 green onions (cut into 2 inch lengths)

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak beancurd sticks for 30 minutes. Drain and cut into bite size pieces.
Carefully peel of the membrane on the bone side of the ribs. Then cut into small pieces.
Heat vegetable oil in a clay pot. Add ginger, garlic, fermented black beans, and chili paste. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add lamb ribs and toss to get it coated with sauce ingredients. This should take about 2 minutes.
Pour in water. Bring it to a boil. Cover pot with lid, reduce heat, and allow it to simmer for 1½ hours. Every now and then open the lid and skim off excessive fat.
Add prepared beancurd sticks to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
Pour in cornstarch mixture. Continue to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
Sprinkle green onions on the top. Turn off stove.
Serve warm with steamed rice.