Winter Melon Soup (Gaeng Jued Fak)
Equipment
- 1 cleaver
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork ribs (I used St. Louis, but spare ribs, riblets, and country ribs will also work.)
- 2000 mL water
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper (Ground black or white pepper works.)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 3-5 bruised garlic cloves)
- 2 tbsp cilantro (1 table spoon chopped cilantro stems and 1 table spoon chopped cilantro leaves or use 2-3 cilantro roots)
- ½ yellow onion
- 2 lb winter melon (Peel, the the seeds out and chop into bite sizes.) (Substitute with 2 chayote if you are not able to find winter melon.)
- 10 Shitake mushrooms (fresh or dried (rehydrated))
- 1 carrot (optional)
- 1 corn (optional)
- 2 green onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional and is used for cleaning dried Shitake mushrooms.)
Instructions
- Prepare the pork ribs: Cut between the bones to make pieces about 1–1.5 inches wide. Marinate the ribs with salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Set them aside.
- Meanwhile, clean and rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms: Soak them in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly a few times. Transfer the mushrooms to an airtight container, add a tablespoon of cornstarch, and enough room-temperature water to cover them. Seal the container and shake for a few minutes. Rinse the mushrooms with water several more times, then set aside. Alternatively, you can soak the mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes to rehydrate, but the cornstarch method ensures they are cleaner.
- Minced garlic, chop yellow onion, green onion, cilantro, and carrots or corn.
- Wash and peel the winter melon. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and slice it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Place a pot on medium heat and add water. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, cilantro stems, and the marinated pork ribs to the water. Do not wait for the water to heat or boil before adding the ingredients, and DO NOT stir for 40 minutes.
- Skim off the scum and impurities from the surface. Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, chopped winter melon, and carrots or corn. Stir to combine, then let everything cook for about 10 minutes.
- Check if the winter melon has turned translucent and is fork-tender. If so, the dish is done. Adjust the seasoning to taste and add the chopped green onion and cilantro.
- Serve the soup on its own to keep it low-carb, or pair it with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Video
@stickyricethaikitchen Winter Melon Soup Ingredients 👇 3 lb pork ribs (I used St. Louis, but spare ribs, riblets, and country ribs will also work.) 2000 mL water 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp pepper (Ground black or white pepper works.) 1 tsp sugar (optional) 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 3-5 bruised garlic cloves) 2 tbsp cilantro (1 table spoon chopped cilantro stems and 1 table spoon chopped cilantro leaves or use 2-3 cilantro roots) ½ yellow onion 2 lb winter melon (Peel, the the seeds out and chop into bite sizes.) (Substitute with 2 chayote if you are not able to find winter melon.) 10 Shitake mushrooms (fresh or dried (rehydrated)) 1 carrot (optional) 1 corn (optional) 2 green onion (chopped) 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional and is used for cleaning dried Shitake mushrooms.) More details on my website. #wintermelon#soup#soupseason#wintermelonsoup#paleo#keto#lowcarb#souprecipe#healthyrecipe#simplerecipe#dinerotiktok#easyrecipe#porkrib#stlouisrib#thaifood#asianfood
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