Brilliant Bry *：歡樂吧！生命

如果要問我最喜歡吃的菜是什麼，我想我會回答「一二三四五」。這是奶奶的廚房中的拿手。雖然我不知道算不算是私房，但是肯定吃過的人都說讚。

但是，這一道菜很費工夫。是個磨時間、磨耐性，還有磨火候的譜。

材料，很簡單。就只有排骨而已。

調味料，也很簡單：酒、醋、糖、醬油、水。比例，就是：一、二、三、四、五。一份酒、兩份醋、三份糖、四份醬油、五份水。喜歡醋多一些或是喜歡糖少一些的人可以把醋和糖的比例互換。但是切記這個調味料的份量就是要這樣「一、二、三、四、五」。我用了約五百公克的豬肋排，這樣一份量的調味料的多寡是兩個瓷湯匙。加完了所有調味料之後，調味料約莫會淹過肋排。並不需要多加水，沒有淹過的部份，就是要靠等下烹調的時候勤加翻動來入味了。

然後開大火煮開。煮開之後把火轉小，用小火讓所有湯汁「幾乎」要收乾。這個「幾乎收乾」的工夫就是最磨人的。因為收的太早，肉還不夠味，收的太晚，肉就焦乾了。要怎樣在汁肉淋漓的當口關火擺盤上菜，就是功夫。這個等待的時間可能長達二個多小時，之間總要三不五時關照一下鍋內的肉，翻動一下。

我還記得奶奶端這道菜上桌的時候，這一定是一道馬上盤子見底的搶手菜餚。而且不但是肉搶手，就連湯汁都會被拿來澆在白飯上，十分下飯。

這道菜的味道真的是讓人入口就難忘。但是因為真的很費工，所以也不是天天都可以在餐桌上見到了。以前奶奶會問，想要吃什麼菜呀？「一二三四五」，真心又順口。然後隔天就有機會大快朵頤。

在荷蘭買排骨真的不方便，不過時間倒是非常多，烹調這一道真還變成我的私房時間私房菜。看看誰有機會吃到吧！

If you ask me what my favourite dish is, I think I will go for “1-2-3-4-5”. This is one of the best from my Grandma’s kitchen. I don’t know whether this is my Grandma’s secret recipe, but so far, everyone who has tasted it loves it, no questions asked.

However, cooking this dish is time consuming. Not only will you need to have time, but you also have to be patient and withskillful. It’s probably also a test for you on all these virtues.

The ingredient list is rather simple: ribs.

The sauces are quite simple too: alcohol/wine, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and water, with the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 portions of each element. 1 portion of alcohol/wine, 2 portions of vinegar, 3 portions of sugar, 4 portions of soy sauce, and 5 portions of water. If I use 500g of ribs, then one portion is probably around 2 Chinese spoons. After adding all the sauces, the sauces will almost cover the spare ribs. If not, then you need to work harder later in the making of this dish to prevent it from getting burnt. Don’t add too much water; it will not help the taste, and it will only probably take you even more time.

When starting to cook, use the highest level (like when stir-frying) to boil the sauces with the ribs, and then turn the fire down to a lower level (like when stewing) to let the sauce ‘almost’ dry out. Because it is only ‘almost’ drying out, it is not actually completely dry. When to remove it from the burner is a question of fine taste. If you remove it too early, the taste is not fully brought into the meat; if you remove it too late, the meat is burnt. I guess it is really an art. The whole waiting period can take to 2 hours or more. And every now and then, the meat inside the sauce pan needs to be stirred a little.

Whenever Grandma serves this dish, it is always the most popular one on the table. Not only is the meat popular, but the sauce can be used to stir in the steamed rice. And that is so delicious and appetizing.

The taste of this dish is unforgettable. But it is really a lot of work, it was not served on the dinner table daily. Sometimes Grandma would ask us what we would like to have (the time we could order from our favourites), I’d shout out wholeheartedly, “1-2-3-4-5”. Then we would again taste this delicious ribs dish the next evening.

The ribs are not usually on my grocery list. However, I do have quite a lot of time to spend. One of the days, I’d cook this dish with my Grandma’s recipe. Let’s see who’s the next lucky one to taste my favourite dish.