Okinawa Pig Rib Soup

(click to enlarge)	Okinawa Pig Rib Soup Ryukyu Islands, Japan - Sokibuni nu Shimun
	Serves: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	6 soup *** 1.75 hrs Yes		Okinawan cuisine is a blend of Japanese and Chinese with it's own individual flair. This delicious soup can serve 6 as a soup course but also works as a main course soup serving 3 to 4. It's very closely related to one of Okinawa's most famous dishes, Pig Feet Soup.

1-1/2
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8
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12
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4
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8

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oz
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T
t
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Spare Ribs (1)
Water
Black Mushroom (2)
Konbu (3)
Ginger root
Daikon, small (4)
Dashi Stock (5)
Water
Soy Sauce
Salt
-- Finish
Mustard Greens

Separate SPARE RIBS and cut into lengths no more than 2 inches. Put them in a pot, cover with plenty of water and bring to a rolling boil for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the ribs and wash the pot.
Soak the MUSHROOMS in warm water for about 1/2 hour. Stem and quarter them and set aside.
Soak KONBU for about 1/2 hour. Cut into strips about 1/2 inch by 2 inches and set aside.
Cut MUSTARD GREENS into strips about 1/2 by 2 inches, discarding stems. Parboil briefly, refresh with cold water, drain and set aside.
Crush GINGER but keep it in one or two pieces to make removal easy.
Peel DAIKONS and cut into sticks about 1/2 inch square and 1-1/2 inches long.
Dissolve 1 t Dashi in 2 cups of warm water.
Put Spare Ribs, Mushrooms and Ginger in a soup pot with 4 c Water. Bring to a boil and skim any foam that rises to the top. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add Daikon and Konbu and simmer another 15 minutes or so until daikon is tender.
When ready to serve, stir in Dashi Stock, Salt and Soy Sauce, bring to a boil and turn off heat.
Serve in individual bowls, a few ribs, some konbu, daikon and mushrooms, and a few strips of mustard greens.

NOTES:

Spare Ribs: .Weight is with all excess fat trimmed off. I prefer the parts with a lot of cartilage rather than bone.
Black Mushroom: Also called "Forest Mushroom", these are actually dried shiitakis. See my Shiitake Mushrooms page for details.
Konbu - Kelp: Nishimi Konbu, thinner than regular konbu, is used in Okinawa, but a thin sheet of regular can be used. About 6 inches by 6 inches will do. For details see my page Konbu / Kelp.
Daikon: Use small daikons because large ones have stiff fibers that make them unpleasant cooked.
Dashi is a dry powdered soup stock made largely from dried bonito - available at any market serving a Japanese or Korean community. To make the stock dissolve 1 t Dashi in 2 cups water.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch