Xiang La Paigu

Hunan cuisine (湘菜, Xiang Cai) is celebrated for its use of fresh and dried chillies, garlic, and fermented black beans — a bold, oily heat that differs from Sichuan's numbing approach. These spare ribs are a staple of home cooking across Hunan province: deep-fried until crisp, then tossed in a fragrant chilli and doubanjiang sauce that clings to every surface.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) pork spare ribs, cut into 4 cm (1.5-inch) pieces
• Oil for deep frying

Marinade:

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp (2 g) white pepper

Sauce:

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
• 6 dried red chillies, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp (10 g) doubanjiang (Sichuan spicy bean paste)
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
• 2 fresh red chillies, sliced
• 3 spring onions, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin (optional but traditional)

Instructions

1. Marinate ribs in Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, cornstarch, and white pepper for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C (355°F). Fry ribs in batches 6–8 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
3. In a clean wok over high heat, fry dried chillies in 3 tbsp oil 30 seconds until fragrant and darkening. Add garlic and doubanjiang, stir-fry 1 minute until oil turns red.
4. Add both soy sauces and sugar, stir to combine. Toss in fried ribs and fresh chillies, stirring vigorously 2–3 minutes until ribs are glazed and sizzling.
5. Add spring onions and cumin in the final 30 seconds. Toss and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Cook's Notes: Hunan heat comes from the sheer quantity and variety of chillies rather than tongue-numbing compounds. Adjust dried chillies to taste but do not skip the fresh ones — they add a different dimension of heat.