Steamed Ribs with Black Beans (豉汁蒸排骨)

a plate of steamed ribs with fermented black beans and chili pepper.

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5 from 14 votes

Steamed Ribs with Black Beans (豉汁蒸排骨)

An easy home version of a classic dim sum dish, steamed ribs with black beans are succulent and irresistibly flavorful.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Rest1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 275kcal

Author: Wei Guo

Ingredients

For tenderizing

1 lb pork ribs cut into bite-sized pieces (see note 1)
1 teaspoon baking soda, aka bicarbonate of soda
2 cups water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt

For marinating

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
1 tablespoon fermented black beans rinsed and coarsely chopped (see note 2)
Fresh chili pepper finely chopped, to taste
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
½ tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar

For garnishing

Scallions finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Tenderize the ribs

Put ribs into a large bowl. Add baking soda and water. Mix to dissolve. Then leave to soak for 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Discard the soaking water, Rinse and rub to clean the ribs under running water. Drain and use kitchen paper to dry the ribs as much as possible.
Add salt and cornstarch to the ribs. Rub with hands to ensure a thorough coating.

Marinate the ribs

Heat oil in a wok/pan. Fry garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans over low heat until fragrant (do not burn the aromatics). Add fresh chili, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, white pepper and sugar. Simmer for 10 seconds or so, then remove from the heat.
Once the seasoning sauce cools down, pour it over the ribs. Mix well to coat evenly. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge (see note 3).

Steamed the ribs

Transfer the ribs to a plate for steaming. Arrange them in a single layer without overlapping.
Bring water to a full boil in a wok/pot which you use for steaming (see note 4). Then put the plate of ribs over a steamer rack, or inside a steamer basket. Cover with a lid and leave to steam over medium-high heat for 20 minutes.
Garnish with scallions and serve the dish immediately with steamed rice, alone or with other savory dishes.

Notes

1. You can find bite-sized pork ribs in many Chinese/Asian grocery stores. Otherwise, ask your local butcher to cut regular ribs into small pieces.

2. Fermented black beans (Douchǐ /豆豉) are often labeled as Salted Black Beans or Preserved Beans with Ginger on the package.

3. If refrigerated, it’s best to bring the marinated ribs back to room temperature before steaming. Otherwise, increase the steaming time by 3 minutes or so.

4. To prevent the water from evaporating completely during steaming, make sure you use ample water without it touching the top of the steamer rack or the bottom of the steamer basket. Check the water level halfway through and top up if needed.

Nutrition