Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce 豉汁排骨- Oh My Food Recipes

Name: Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨）
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Spareribs (2 long strips (2 pounds)); 4 cloves Garlic ((minced)); 2 tablespoons Fermented black soybeans; 1 stick Green onion; 1-2 Chilies (Optional (Depends on if you can handle spicy food)); 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon Soy sauce; 1 teaspoon Sugar; 1/8 teaspoon Salt; 1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil

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Steamed pork spare ribs with black bean sauce is a classic Cantonese dim sum dish like turnip cake, congee, custard bun, cheung fun, lo mai gai, siu mai and gai lan. This authentic Chinese steamed pork ribs recipe is very simple and delicious! Also, Chinese steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce is great for lunch or dinner and the best to serve with rice or make claypot rice. Try out this quick Chinese dim sum steamed pork spare ribs recipe. Let's learn how to steam pork ribs with step by step photos and a video.

Love authentic food? Check out these hairy gourd vermicelli, beef with bitter melon, Chinese spinach amaranth, sweet and sour pork, Chinese bacon cabbage stir fry, pickled mustard green and Chinese mushroom chicken recipes.

Chinese steamed spareribs with black bean on a bowl of rice

What is steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)?

Chinese steamed pork spareribs with black bean sauce is a classic Cantonese cuisine and one of the popular dim sum items that are served in Chinese dim sum restaurants. Often, Chinese steamed spareribs use garlic and savory fermented black soybeans. Then, steamed it until tender and flavorful. It is a classic Cantonese cuisine for dim sum or meal served with rice, claypot rice and other sides such as yu choy sum, water spinach stir fry, Chinese spinach amaranth and sweet potato leaves stir fry. And, my mother always makes this dish because it's a tasty and easy fix for lunch and dinner.

Authentic homestyle Chinese steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce:

This homestyle Chinese steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce recipe is delicious and flavorful. It is because my mom taught me how to make this authentic dish. She worked at Chinese traditional dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong for years and the Chinese chef taught her how to make the best homemade Chinese steamed pork ribs. Using the right and simple ingredients to marinate is very important. Besides, the steamed time is crucial. I am going to show you step by step how to make authentic Chinese steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce.

How do I make my pork ribs more tender like the restaurant?

Most of the restaurants add kansui, potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate, into the spare ribs and let it tenderize the meat. Then, rinse the ribs with water. After that, they marinade and season the pork ribs.

I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of kansui and mixing with the cut spare ribs for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the ribs 3 times with water. After that, marinate the pork ribs. If you don’t have kansui, you can use baked baking soda (bake the baking soda at 200F for an hour). Add 1 teaspoon of baked baking soda into the pork ribs, mix it well and let it tenderize the meat for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the pork ribs with water 3 times before marinating them.

How to buy the right type of spare ribs?

When buying spare ribs for making steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce, it's essential to choose the right type of ribs to ensure a delicious and tender result. In the Asian store, they usually label them A type spare ribs. They are usually narrower and smaller.

If you are not sure, don't hesitate to ask the butcher, they can help you select the right type of spare ribs for the steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce. Then, look for ribs with a good amount of meat attached to the bones. While some fat is desirable for flavor and tenderness. However, you don't want ribs that are overly fatty.

Key marinade for classic Chinese spare ribs:

The key seasoning for authentic and classic steamed pork ribs are soy sauce, sugar, salt, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic and fermented black beans. These are the simple and basic Chinese ingredients to marinate the spare ribs for this delicious meal or dim sum dish.

What is fermented black beans?

Fermented black beans, also known as salted black beans, Chinese black beans or douchi (豆豉) in Chinese. Fermented black beans are made from soybeans that have undergone a fermentation process and seasoned with salt. During the fermentation process, the beans develop a strong, savory and salty taste with a unique umami flavor. The fermentation also darkens the beans, giving them a characteristic black color.

They are typically in small, dry and wrinkled form. You can find them in Asian grocery stores. When using fermented black beans in cooking, we usually rinse it with water before being added to dishes to remove excess salt.

Because fermented black beans have an intense flavor. They are used to add depth and complexity to a wide range of dishes such as beef & bitter melon stir fry, steamed fish and make sauces. They are often paired with garlic, ginger and other seasonings to create a robust and savory flavor. One of the most famous dishes or dim sum features fermented black beans is this steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce. Also, they are an essential part of Chinese culinary heritage and continue to be enjoyed in various cuisines worldwide.

Do you steam spare ribs in the wok?

Yes, you can steam spare ribs in the wok with a wire rack. Also, you can use a steamer, metal or bamboo basket. Besides, we usually steam it with rice in a rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, the pork ribs are done as well.

What are the ingredients for Chinese steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce?

For this Chinese steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce recipe, the main ingredients are fermented black beans, garlic and spare pork ribs. Chili pepper is optional if you cannot handle any hot stuff.

Cooking tips for how to cook Chinese steamed pork spare ribs with black bean sauce:

Tenderizing pork ribs:

Most of the restaurants add kansui, potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate, into the spare ribs and let it tenderize the meat. Then, rinse the ribs with water. After that, they marinade and season the pork ribs.
I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of kansui and mixing with the cut spare ribs for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the ribs 3 times with water. After that, marinate the pork ribs. If you don’t have kansui, you can use baked baking soda (bake the baking soda at 200F for an hour). Add 1 teaspoon of baked baking soda into the pork ribs, mix it well and let it tenderize the meat for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the pork ribs with water 3 times before marinating them.

Marinade:

It's best to let it marinate overnight or a couple hours before steaming, if not let it marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking.

Steaming:

After water boils, put the pork ribs into the steamer and steam it for 15 minutes. Different material of the container may vary the cooking time, please check it after 15 minutes. Let it steam until the pork is cooked through.
Most of the time, I steam it with the rice in a regular rice cooker. Once the rice is done, the steamed pork spareribs will be cooked as well.
I have tried to use an instant pot to make this dish in a short time. However, it turns out the meat is very tough. Therefore, I suggest using a traditional steaming method to cook this dim sum steamed pork ribs.

FAQs:

How long does it take to steam pork ribs?

Average it takes about 15 minutes. Normally, I wait for the water to boil and put the pork ribs in and steam it for 15 minutes. But, you can check and see after 15 minutes. If you use a glass or thicker container, it may take longer than usual.

Can I use an instant pot to cook them?

I tried it at high pressure for 6-8 minutes, but the meat was tough. However, I will update more information when I have better results using instant pot.

Instructions for how to cook steam pork ribs:

1. Mince 4 cloves of garlic.

2. Cut a stick of green onion (1 oz).

3. Then, cut 2 pieces of chili peppers. (You can add one or not add them if you cannot handle spicy food.)

4. Next, wash and cut 2 long strips of spareribs (2 pounds) into pieces. (If you want to make the meat even tender, see the post above for how to make pork ribs tender like restaurants.)

spare ribs in a container with garlic, black beans and chili pepper

5. Put the cut spare ribs into a container and add minced garlic and 2 tablespoons fermented black soybeans (rinse it before using) and chili peppers.

6. After that, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Then, mix it well. (It's best to let it marinate overnight or a couple hours before steaming, if not let it marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking.)

7. The following, steam for 15 minutes when water is boiling. (Different material of the container may vary the cooking time, please check it after 15 minutes. Let it steam until the pork is cooked through.)

dim sum steamed Chinese spare ribs with black bean sauce

8. Lastly, sprinkle the cut green onion from step 2 into the steamed pork ribs. You can serve it with rice or noodles. The best is to serve with rice or to make claypot rice.

dim sum pork spare ribs steamed with black beans serve with rice

Enjoy this simple and tasty dim sum Chinese steamed pork ribs recipe! Also, check out these authentic Hong Kong lo mein, scallion pancake, chili oil, braised bamboo shoots, eggplant and pork, beef broccoli and egg tomato recipes.

Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce