The ribs are tender yet pleasantly chewy, with the rich flavor of fermented black bean sauce lingering on the palate for a truly satisfying finish.
Steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce is a classic Cantonese dish known for its bouncy, tender texture, requiring careful ingredient selection and precise timing—the meat must be tender, the heat high, and it should be eaten immediately after steaming for the best experience. Each bite-sized, dice-cut rib enters the mouth soft yet slightly springy; when you bite down, it releases a satisfying crunch, with the rich aroma of bone and meat flooding in, juices spilling across your tongue. The fermented black bean flavor grows increasingly intense, filling your entire mouth, and when your teeth accidentally catch a tiny bean, it's silky smooth and melts instantly.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
300 g (about 10 oz) pork spare ribs
Use smaller ribs with pinkish meat; larger ones with darker meat are tough and hard to chew.
Pork rib marinade
Scallions and ginger, each to taste
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) Shaoxing wine
10 g oyster sauce
10 g light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce and sesame oil, a dash of each
Dark soy sauce is used for color, but you can also omit it.
Seasonings for the black bean sauce (Image 2)
140 g fermented black beans
2 g dried tangerine peel (about 1 teaspoon)
70 g (about 2.5 oz) shallots
10 g ginger and 10 g garlic
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) oyster sauce
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) sugar
200 g (about 1 cup) oil
10 g (about 2 teaspoons) Shaoxing wine
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) light soy sauce
5 g dark soy sauce
Other Seasonings
to taste
chopped scallions, to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Prep
Step 1: Finely mince the shallots, ginger, and garlic; soak the dried tangerine peel in warm water until soft, then mince it as well, keeping them separate (Image 3). Steam the fermented black beans in a bowl for 5 minutes, let cool, then finely chop them (Image 4).
Steaming the fermented black beans briefly will soften them, making them much easier to chop.
Marinate the ribs: In a bowl, combine the ribs with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Mix well and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Step 2: Cut the scallions into sections and slice the ginger, then add them to the ribs along with the remaining marinade ingredients (Image 5). Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes (Image 6).
If time permits, marinate the ribs longer for deeper flavor; if you're short on time, you can steam them directly, though the ribs will be slightly less flavorful.
To make the black bean sauce, combine fermented black beans, minced garlic, and a splash of Shaoxing wine or water, then mash into a paste.
③ Pour oil into a wok and heat to around 250°F (120°C), then add the fermented black beans and stir-fry over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until they just begin to bubble (Image 7). Next, add the dried tangerine peel (Image 8) and stir-fry for 10 minutes, then add the shallots and minced ginger and garlic and stir-fry for another 10 minutes (Image 9). Finally, add the remaining black bean sauce seasonings and stir-fry for 5 minutes until done (Image 10).
*When dry-frying, if the heat is too high, it will easily burn; if too low, the aroma won't develop, so use medium-low heat and keep stirring the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
*The seasonings must be added strictly in the order given; if the oil seems to be absorbed during stir-frying and the pan feels dry, you can add a little more oil as needed.
Steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce
④ Remove the scallions and ginger from the marinated ribs, pour in the fermented black bean sauce, add some cornstarch (Image 11), mix well, and transfer to a plate.
*Add the fermented black bean sauce last because it contains oil; if added first, the oil will seal the surface of the meat, preventing the other seasonings from penetrating, and the ribs won't develop a rich, deep flavor.
Bring the water in a steamer to a boil, place the ribs inside, and steam over high heat for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove from the steamer, sprinkle with a little chopped scallion, and drizzle with hot oil before serving (Figure 12).
*Be sure to wait until the water in the steamer is boiling before adding the ribs—this ensures they turn out tender and bouncy—and do not lift the lid during steaming; keep the heat on high throughout.
This versatile technique can be applied to other ingredients as well.
Cantonese black bean sauce can be considered a versatile all-purpose sauce. With this sauce, you can make many dishes—steamed chicken, steamed fish, steamed eel, and even the famous Cantonese dish of bitter melon with beef is made with black bean sauce. You can prepare a large batch of black bean sauce at once, let it cool, then keep the fermented black beans submerged in oil, seal tightly with plastic wrap, and it will keep for about 2 weeks. However, do not store it for too long, or it will spoil.