Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)

Name: Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 kg / 2.2lb pork spare ribs; 3 tsp black bean garlic sauce; 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder; 1 tbsp cooking oil; 1 1/2 tsp potato starch; 1/2 tsp salt ((or to taste)); 1 tbsp sugar ((or to taste))

Skip the dim sum queues with these unbelievably EASY Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce! Use just one plate from start to finish for ribs steamed to silky perfection. Get our family tips on how to get melt-in-your-mouth pork!

Here’s a fish version that our family loves!

Steamed Pork Ribs in a dish with chopsticks.

The side dish that keeps you wanting more

Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Beans is a must-have dish during my ventures to the local yum cha restaurant.

It’s a Cantonese classic that defines every dim sum experience, along with favorites like Ham Sui Gok, Century Egg and Pork Congee, Braised Beef Honeycomb Tripe, Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce, Liu Sha Bao and Mango Pancakes.

But yum cha just isn’t complete without some freshly Steamed Pork Ribs! And if by some unfortunate chance it’s not wheeled around on a cart filled with bamboo steamers, you can narrow it down to one of two reasons:

Everyone before you has taken one (or two) servings because it’s just THAT good.
You rocked up closer to closing time and all that’s left are a few desserts…so you have to personally ask for it. I won’t say how many times I’ve done that!

Now, if you make it at home, you’ll never have those problems. Instead, you’ll bite into silky ribs FILLED with flavor from the black beans.

Each piece will be so soft that it simply falls apart in your mouth before it bursts with delicious porky juices!

Should I use the premade sauce or whole black beans?

This really comes down to personal preference, but Grandma has always used the premade sauce in a jar. All it takes is just one trip to the Asian supermarket and you’ll have it last in your pantry for many dishes to come.

We use Lee Kum Kee’s Black Bean Sauce with Garlic, but you can certainly use whole beans and dice it up like Maggie did over at Omnivore’s Cookbook. Just make sure to adjust the flavors to your taste!

Why this recipe works

Steaming the meat for an hour means you’ll have the juiciest melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Using ribs ensures that each piece cooked with bone gets extra flavor penetrated through.
Mixing in corn starch helps to protect the pork from powerful steam heat by forming a protective film around the meat.
Using sauce from the jar instead of whole black beans makes this dish one you can make over and over again when you don’t have time!

What you’ll need

Pork spare ribs in a dish with black bean sauce, chicken powder, potato starch, sugar and salt.

Choosing the best spare ribs

Ask your butcher to get you a piece that has a good ratio of meat to fat. The more fat there is, the more succulent the piece will be.

The ribs will come in a long strip and you’ll be able to easily cut it into smaller portions at home.

If you find the spare rib strip to be too wide, ask the butcher to cut it in half for you along its length.

How to make this recipe

Divide the pork into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1.5 cm (0.6″) thick. The technique is to cut the part of the flesh between the bones.

Note: Make sure there is enough meat on either side of the bone so that when you eat it, there’s something to munch on!

Marinate the meat with the black bean garlic sauce, chicken bouillon powder, cooking oil, potato starch, salt and sugar.

Mix all the ingredients in well and let it marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Steam the pork on high heat for 10 minutes to replicate springy dim sum restaurant quality or for 1 hour for more tender ribs, then serve with rice or as is!

FAQs

How long do I steam it for?

If you want your steamed pork ribs to be succulent with a satisfying bouncy bite (as you would get at dim sum restaurants), then steam it on a high heat for roughly 10 minutes until it has just cooked through.
But if you like them more on the tender side, steam for an hour.

What can I use in place of a steamer?

You can get a deep pot or wok (it needs to be high enough to cover the height of the dish and a trivet).
Place a metal steaming trivet inside and pour water in so that it is 2cm (1/2″) away from the top of the trivet.
Place the dish on top of the stand. You’ll need the pot or wok’s lid as a cover. Alternatively, if you have a bamboo steamer, fill your wok up with some water and place the bamboo steamer above the water in the wok.
The bamboo steamer needs to be large enough to seal all sides so that the steam travels directly through it.

Tips for an easy side dish every time

Do all the marinating in a steam-friendly dish to avoid having to transfer the mixture into another one. We typically use ceramic or metal dishes that can withstand high steaming temperatures.
Set the steamer up before you begin marinating, so you can put the dish in as soon as you’ve mixed the ingredients up.
Let your pork come to room temperature. Meat gets tough when cooked cold, so let the ribs rest out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Steamed Pork Ribs in a bowl of rice next to a dish with more ribs.

More Steamed Recipes!

Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots – The best recipe for a clean, healthy and delicious fish dish.
Vietnamese Steamed Egg Meatloaf (Chả Trứng Hấp) – A Vietnamese take on meatloaf and one that pairs perfectly with rice.
Steamed Lemongrass Pork With Shrimp Paste – Just because it’s steamed, doesn’t mean its flavor is compromised! We use aromatics like lemongrass and shrimp paste to make it a dish worth remembering!
Steamed Pork Mince with Salted Fish (咸鱼蒸肉饼) – A Cantonese classic that our whole family loves! It’s the perfect balance of savory and ginger flavor.
Chinese Steamed Egg (蒸水蛋) – Silky smooth savory egg custard is the easiest way to bring a homey dish to the table!

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