Instant Pot Bak Kut teh (Pork Ribs Soup)
This Bak Kut Teh recipe, or Pork Ribs Soup, is a traditional Singapore style dish commonly eaten for breakfast. It is deliciously meaty, peppery and so ultra comforting, and comes together quickly in the Instant Pot.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 487kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork ribs
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups pork broth
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon white pepper
- 2 whole star anise
- 10 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked and halved
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 bunch green onions cut in 2-3" pieces
- 6 ounces fried tofu cubed
- 10 red Thai chilies sliced
- ⅛ cup Kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce - for serving
Instructions
- First, remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Watch this video on how to remove the membrane. Then, using a cleaver or sharp knife, cut the ribs into individual ribs.
- Boil the pork ribs in a large pot for 10-15 minute, then drain.
- Add all ingredients except the green onions, tofu, Thai chilies and Kecap manis to the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Use the quick release to release the pressure and turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting.
- Add the green onions and tofu cubes and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off and serve soup in bowls garnished with Thai chilies.
- Serve with a side of Kecap manis and Thai chilies for dipping, and well as a side of rice.
Video
Notes
- To keep the soup clear, make sure to boil and rinse the pork ribs before adding them to the Instant Pot. This helps to clean the ribs and enables any blood to cook out that would normally cloud a broth;
- Add as many or few Thai chilies as garnish as you prefer. They can be very spicy, so be careful!
- If you prefer less fall-off-the-bone tender pork, decrease the pressure cook time to 40 minutes;
- Regular soy sauce can be substituted for dark soy sauce if needed;
- Dark brown sugar can be substituted for palm sugar;
- You can substitute hoisin sauce for the kecap manis, but the flavor will not be the same;
- The tofu puffs can be left out if desired, however, I highly recommend them;
Nutrition
Serving: 2g | Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1249mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg