Sweet and sour ribs

Slice the rib strips between the bones into individual ribs.

Marinate the ribs with the soy sauce and black pepper, mix well and set aside 15 minutes.

Preheat the wok to smoking hot and add the oil.

Sear the ribs over high heat a minute or two until slightly charred, not cooked through. Take them out and set aside.

Clean any searing residue out of the wok or it will burn, then add the sugar and stir over medium low heat about three minutes to caramelize, until foamy bubbles form.

Toss in the garlic, sliced ginger, scallions, cinnamon stick, star anise and the seared ribs. Have everything prepped beforehand or the sugar burns.

Stir for a minute until fragrant, then add the soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, rice vinegar and plum sauce and stir a couple of minutes.

Transfer everything to a clay pot; simmering acidic ingredients in a carbon steel wok strips the seasoning layer.

Rinse the wok with the water and add it to the clay pot.

Simmer on low 50 minutes, until fork tender, then discard the soggy aromatics.

Raise the heat to high and stir constantly to reduce the thin braising liquid until it is thick enough to coat the ribs.

Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and serve.