Bak Kut Teh (Malaysian Pork Bone Soup) Recipe

Ingredients (34)

• For the Herbs and Spices:
• 2 1/2 ounces (70g) dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ounce (30g) dried red dates (hong zao, 红枣) 
• 1 1/2 ounces (40g) dried black dates (nan zao, 南枣) 
• One 2-inch knob peeled fresh ginger (10g)
• 20 medium cloves garlic (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100g), unpeeled
• 3/4 ounce (20g) white peppercorns
• 1/2 ounce (15g) dried foxglove root (shu di pian, 熟地片)
• 1/2 ounce (15g) Solomon’s seal (yu zhu, 玉竹)
• 1/2 ounce (15g) cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon)
• 1/3 ounce (10g) Chinese angelica root (dong gui, 当归)
• 1/3 ounce (10g) Szechuan lovage (chuan xiong, 川芎)
• 1/3 ounce (10g) licorice root (gan cao, 甘草)
• Two 1-inch pieces codonopsis pilosula (dang shen, 党参)
• Two 3-inch pieces dried tangerine peel (chen pi, 陈皮)
• 1 large star anise pod
• 2 tablespoons (5g) goji berries (gou qi zi, 枸杞子)
• 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• For the Soup:
• 1 pound (454g) pork spare ribs, divided between the bones and cut into 2-inch chunks by the butcher or with a cleaver
• 14 ounces (400g) soft-boned meat (cartilaginous cuts called ruan gu rou, 软骨肉, at Chinese markets), sliced into 1-inch cubes, frozen
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (24ml) Chinese light soy sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (24ml) oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) Chinese dark soy sauce
• 3/4 ounce (20g) cane rock sugar, plus more to taste
• 6 Chinese tofu puffs (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
• 6 canned button mushrooms (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
• 3 1/2 ounces (100g) enoki mushrooms
• 5 ounces (140g) iceberg lettuce leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Cooked white rice drizzled with Chinese cooking caramel, for serving (optional)
• Minced garlic and bird's eye chiles stirred into Chinese light soy sauce, for serving (optional)