Braised ribs with steamed noodles in a clay pot

Preheat the clay pot on the stove.

Loosen the silver skin at the edge of the ribs with the knife tip, grip with a paper towel and rip it off; cut between the bones into single ribs.

Oil the hot pot lightly, lay in the ribs and brown over high heat a few minutes per side until golden; flip and brown the other side.

Tuck peeled garlic and sliced ginger between the ribs; clear a space in the middle, add the sugar and let it caramelize slowly, then mix roughly.

Add the Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce and dark soy sauce and mix well; pour in 2 cups of boiling water and turn the heat to low. Taste, and keep the ribs under the liquid.

Add star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and optional dried chilies in a spice bag; simmer 50 minutes.

Check the ribs are pulling from the bone and the liquid is just below the ribs; reduce on high heat if there is too much, add hot water if too little.

Add the beans; loosen the noodles and lay them lightly on top without patting down, so they steam above the liquid.

Cover, turn the heat to medium and cook 5 minutes.

Mix the noodles with the sauce, stirring until no sauce is left at the bottom, then turn off the heat before it sticks. Garnish with fresh red chilies and cilantro.