Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

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Slow Cooker Pork Rib Stew, Served 3 Ways

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This Slow Cooker Pork Rib Stew, served 3 ways means you don’t have to cook from scratch for 3 nights.  I’m a huge fan of using a Slow Cooker, I cannot get used to the Instant Pot mentality, more about this later. A Slow Cooker is so practical and efficient in getting dinner on the table. It’s a huge time saver, locks in the flavors and keeps meat moist and tender.

Pork Ribs, Stir Fry Mixed Veggies, homemade Kimchi

Instead of ‘recipes’, I like to focus on Flavors, Textures and Colors. So, here’s how to tackle the Slow Cooker Pork Rib Stew.

About Ingredients…
1 Onion, chopped or half moons
4-6 cloves garlic, thwacked
Thumb size ginger, thwacked
1- 2 carrots, chopped biggish chunks
4-6 dried shiitakes (from Earthy Delights in your Wok Star Kit) directions how to rehydrate is on the label.
Chicken Broth, halfway up the meat 

About Pork Ribs…
3-4 lbs. of pork ribs.
They will be your favorite cut of meat, it’s juicy, meaty and so versatile. I get them cut across the bones so they are smaller and easier to handle and they’re called riblets. Available from Costco or Asian markets. Cut the riblets into individual pieces, see photo below. Fill slow cooker half way.  

About Flavorings…
Basic Seasonings: TSPC.  Wok Stars, you know what these are. Newbies, it’s Tamari, Sherry, Pepper, Cornstarch
2 tsp. each of Brown Bean Sauce (from Koon Chun in your Wok Star Kit) and Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce.

Here’s HOW…

  1. Set slow cooker on LOW before prepping. This will give it a head start. Set your timer for 3 1/2 hours. 
  2. Add pork riblets at bottom then veggies, garlic & ginger and broth into slow cooker.
  3. In a bowl, mix TSPC and extra flavorings. Add into slow cooker. I LOVE the smells wafting through my apartment. This is what the Insta Pot doesn’t allow, no smells and you cannot peek in there for tasting and adjusting flavors. For me, cooking is about LAYERING flavors. You can’t do anything until you’ve released the pressure which takes another half an hour. 
  4. When time is up, test a piece of pork riblet and adjust flavorings, to see if it’s the texture you like, if you like softer, let it cook for another half hour. 
Add pork riblets, then onions, garlic & ginger, carrots, mushrooms. Then chicken broth, flavorings.

Serving suggestions…
You’ll just need to serve reheated pork riblet stew and stir fry or blanche some veggies. So easy, dinner in about 15 minutes or less.  

Allocate about 3-5 pieces of pork riblets per person. Spoon onions, carrots and sauce over the riblets. 

I like to add some homemade kimchi and garnish with chili threads, chopped scallions and cilantro, they just give a pop of color and adds freshness to the finished dish. 

Don’t you love the 3 ways I served this Slow Cooker Pork Rib Stew? 
If you try this Slow Cooker Pork Rib Stew, please take a photo and tag @wokstar on Instagram,
I would love to see how you present yours.

First night: Pork Ribs, Stir Fry Mixed Veggies, homemade Kimchi
2nd night: added mustard greens when reheating pork rib stew
3rd night: Blanched Brussels Sprouts and displayed carrots, mushrooms separately for a different look and presented pork ribs on bed of quinoa. 

Grilled Korean Style Kalbi Short Ribs, Wok Star Way

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If you’re craving ribs with Asian flavors and you want it fast, I’ve got the PERFECT ANSWER – Grilled Korean Kalbi Short Ribs, done Wok Star Way. 

Kalbi, beech mushrooms, baby bok choy and grilled zoodles.
Sprinkle sesame seeds & Chili threads on Kalbi.
Served with beech mushrooms, baby bok choy and grilled zoodles.

My goal is always about the shortest way to achieve 3 things when cooking. Get authentic flavors by simplify long lists of ingredients and shorten the cooking process.

I got all excited when I found flanken beef short ribs at Costco recently. They cut the beef ribs across the ribs, the Asian way, so they are thinner, smaller to handle and cooks much faster. They also do this for pork ribs. 

The traditional Kalbi recipe calls for Asian pears, but the Wok Star way is to improvise and substitute or do away with if not in season or difficult to find. I left out this ingredient all together. You won’t miss it, especially if you’ve never had it before. 

Or you can just use any pear, it’s the sweetness you’re after. I personally don’t care for additional sugar of any kind because it masks the flavor of the actual ingredient, so you’re just tasting sugar. 

I’ve prepared Kalbi two ways so far.

Here are guidelines for making Kalbi, as you know, I don’t use precise measurements for cooking! 

While Kalbi is grilling, stir fry your vegetables, cook quinoa. Choose platter to serve. Lay your table. 

Stir Fry Bok Choy in cast iron wok, Iwatani gas stove
Stir Fry Bok Choy in cast iron wok, Iwatani gas stove.

Allow 2 strips of Kalbi per person with extra strips for seconds. 

Zing broiler on high. I think there’s only one setting, ON or OFF.

Place Kalbi on grilling rack on top rack, closest to broiler.

Flip Kalbi as soon as you smell yummy aromas on first side, don’t overcook. 

Let Kalbi crisp up a little, again don’t overcook because it’ll dry out. 

One last tip, I like to grill just the first strip for everyone and serve. While we eat the first round, I grill the second strip. 

1) San-J Tamari, garlic and ginger marinade
In a glass bowl, submerge ribs in a mix of tamari, scallions, ginger and garlic overnight in the fridge as instructed by most recipes. Then I had to pat the ribs dry. Some recipes said to throw away the marinade? So wasteful and I didn’t find the flavor was worth the effort. 

Tamari, Garlic and Ginger marinaded Beef Short Ribs overnight.
Kalbi, curry quinoa and stir fried baby bok choy
Sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped scallions on Kalbi.
Put small bowls of sesame seeds, chili threads, salt to give guests option to add more.
Serve with Stir Fried Bok Choy and Curry Quinoa.

2) Dry spice rub 
This is my preferred method for grilling meat. It does away with long marinade times, ribs are not wet making them tough when grilled and yields BETTER FLAVORS than the overnight marinade.  I literally sprinkle dry spice rub on both sides of Kalbi and grill, that’s it. 

I sprinkled Rufus Teague Spice Rub on Beef Short Ribs and grilled under broiler.
Kalbi, Chinese Broccoli, quinoa, pickles
Sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped scallions to garnish Kalbi. Served with quinoa, stir fried Chinese Broccoli, carrots and side of homemade pickles.

Try both and share in comments which you prefer or if you’re tried making Kalbi and your results. Food is all about personal taste. 

I like the explanation of Kalbi/Galbi here. 

Beef Chart shows all the different cuts…

Kalbi goes well with these dishes…

Curry Quinoa

Curry Quinoa

Mango, Pineapple Salsa

Mango, Pineapple Salsa
It doesn’t matter proportion, whatever fruit you like most, add that
Stir Fried Bok Choy and Mini Sweet Peppers
Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy, Mini Sweet Peppers in my cast iron wok and gas stove setup.
Add dash of tamari and sherry.

Nearly Homemade Duck Noodle Soup in under 30 minutes

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While you were all watching Super Bowl, I made this delicious Nearly Homemade Duck Noodle Soup in under 30 minutes! The Yu Choy and mushrooms I got from that new Chinese market, IFresh in North Miami were so good. And roast duck from King Palace.

Nearly homemade duck noodle soup
Nearly homemade duck noodle soup.

Quick and easy! Try it for weeknight especially when it’s a little chilly and breezy. Yes, Miami has had a little spell. I even have this through summer, in my house, we can have soup noodles ANY DAY.

I love the process of making it. It’s very soothing. Then seeing it come together with bright crunchy vegetables and squishy mushrooms.

Often, I’ll use different vegetables for variety on another night, see bottom photo.

I don’t even know why I eat this dish out since it’s so easy especially when you have access to a Chinese restaurant or market that prepares Roast Duck or meats.

Keep Rice Noodles in your pantry so you can whip this up in no time. Here’s how…

1. Start by cooking rice noodles: add boiling water to rice noodles in pot and just cover with lid without stove turned on. Yes, it doesn’t need heat, they “cook” really fast. Check it after only 5-7 minutes, do a taste test for doneness. Just put lid on if you want it softer.

I was in a hurry and overdid it by boiling, oops. Big mistake. They got quite starchy, so I rinsed in colander in cold water to stop from cooking and added few dashes of Sesame oil to prevent from sticking. This is how you treat noodles.

2. Whilst noodles are “cooking.” Chop scallions, cilantro and shred ginger.

3. Using same pot, make soup starting with Kirkland chicken stock, seasonings you already have in your KIT – San-J tamari, sherry, white pepper plus small dollop of Huy Fong chili garlic sauce and Red Boat Fish Sauce. Throw in ginger. Adjust savory, spiciness to your liking! 

Seasonings from your KIT. Tamari, Sherry, Pepper. Add chili & fish sauce.
Seasonings from your KIT. San-J Tamari, Sherry, Pepper. Add Huy Fong chili sauce & fish sauce.

4. Add duck pieces to soup to give flavor and warm through. Set in bowl. 

5. Blanche Yu Choy and mushrooms in soup.

6. Boil hot water and warm up rice noodles in colander and add to bowl. 

7. Boil soup to rolling boil. Pour soup over everything and garnish with chopped scallions, cilantro.  Boom, done!

ENJOY!

Use different vegetables like loofah melon
Use different vegetables like Loofah melon on another night.

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