Chinese salt and pepper ribs

Rub the ribs thoroughly for five minutes with the flour, Chinese cooking wine and baking soda; the rubbing loosens the grains and fibres and tenderizes them physically.

Rinse the ribs under cold running water to wash the flour and baking soda away so they leave no off flavors, then let them drain. This cleaning step is optional.

Put the sea salt, Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, raw sesame seed and cumin seeds in a wok and stir over low heat for a few minutes, then let them cool.

Grind the toasted mix to a fine powder in a coffee grinder, add the chili powder and garlic powder and blend again.

Pat the drained ribs dry with paper towels.

Mix the ribs thoroughly with the Jiao Yan seasoning, sugar, soy sauce and the grated ginger and garlic paste; marinate 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight.

Shake the cornstarch and baking powder together in a mason jar, add the ribs, put the lid on and shake until all the ribs are coated well.

Shake off the excess flour and rest the coated ribs about 15 minutes so the coating bonds deeper and does not fall off while deep frying.

Heat two cups of oil to 320F, add the ribs one by one and fry six to eight minutes; they will still be pale.

Take them out and rest 15 minutes.

Raise the oil to 380F and double fry two to three minutes to reinforce the crust, until beautifully golden brown.

Garnish with diced scallions, red chilies and green chilies.

Sprinkle over one to two teaspoons of the Jiao Yan seasoning and toss thoroughly.