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Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is Vietnamese in nature and has pork ribs and glass (bean curd) noodles. Bitter melon is also known as bitter gourd. A similar dish is made in Thailand without the ribs or noodles but with mushrooms and carrot instead.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Soup

  • 500 grams baby back pork ribs, the short ones, (1 lb)
  • water, as directed
  • ⅜ cup fish sauce
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt, as directed
  • ½ onion, minced, other half to be used in melons
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 packages bean vermicelli, (glass noodles), about 40 grams per package

For the Stuffed Melon

  • 2 bitter melon
  • 250 grams ground pork, (8 oz)
  • 1 dried medium wood ear mushroom, soaked in warm water, patted dry, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ onion, minced, other half was used in the soup
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions
 

For the Soup

  • First thing is to 'clean' the ribs, and this is a common Chinese way to do this. Rinse the ribs and cut between each bone to make small pieces.
  • Place the ribs in a pot and just cover with water, stir in a pinch of salt, and put on high heat. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat, you are not cooking the ribs, just 'cleaning' them. Drain the ribs and rinse and discard the water. Now we have 'cleaned' ribs.
  • Same pot, add the ribs back, add 3 quarts (12 cups) of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 45 minutes. This is doing two things, first, we are tenderizing the ribs (they will be fall off the bone tender, and two, we are making pork broth. Win win. While the ribs are simmering, go ahead and make the stuffed bitter melon listed below.
  • When 45 minutes have passed, go ahead and taste for tenderness (Chef's treat, try a rib, just go with it), now add the onion, garlic, stir, then add the stuffed bitter melon. Let simmer for another 20 minutes.
  • Then add the fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir and taste and adjust the salt as desired. Cook another 5 minutes.
  • Now add the noodles, cook for another 3-5 minutes. This not only cooks the noodles, which cook very quickly, but also reduces the bitterness of the melon.
  • Serve with a few ribs, some noodles, and 3 pieces of the bitter melon, and the broth. Enjoy.

For the Stuffed Bitter Melon

  • You can prepare this while the soup is simmering. Take the two bitter melons, and trim off each end, then slice crosswise into 1½ inch sections. Take a paring knife and cut around the center and push that out, so you have a tube left over. Set these aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the ground pork and the rest of the stuffing ingredients except of course, the bitter melon pieces. Mix together and let marinate for 15 minutes.
  • Mix the meat mixture again then stuff the melon pieces with the meat mixture.
  • Add the stuffed melon pieces to the soup at the 45 minute mark when cooking the soup then follow the rest of the soup instructions.

Notes

Pork ribs, ground pork, and bitter melon are inexpensive. This is a low cost meal per serving.