Steamed Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)

Steamed pork ribs, shrimp dumplings, pork shu mai, gai lan in oyster sauce, and Cantonese roast duck: these are my go-to dishes whenever I go to a dim sum restaurant. It makes my mouth water just thinking about them!

If you have ever tried steamed pork ribs at a Cantonese dim sum restaurant, you’d be surprised at how flavorsome they taste. Those bite-sized juicy ribs are covered with a rich, savory and garlicky sauce, and are served in mini bamboo steamers. It is too bad that each serving is so tiny because the whole plate will disappear within a single minute of being served. I rarely get more than two pieces when eating out with friends!

The great news is, you can cook these ribs at home and get the taste just as great as the restaurant-style. In the recipe below, I will teach you:

• A great way to create a super flavorful, garlicky black bean sauce that tastes way better than the bottled sauce.
• The tricks to create super tender ribs by using a steamer.
• How easy it is to make restaurant-style ribs in 15 minutes.

How to make steamed ribs in black bean sauce

The key steps of making restaurant-like dim sum steamed ribs

• Make the black bean sauce. You can either use a pre-cooked sauce, or make a quick sauce by following the recipe below.
• Cornstarch is a must. Not only does it tenderize the meat, it also forms a thin coating outside of the ribs, so they won’t come in contact with the hot steam. It is a key ingredient for creating tender ribs.
• Marinate the ribs. An important step that you cannot skip. Marinating makes sure the ribs absorb all the flavors from the sauce so the result is an extra rich taste. The ginger in the marinade will also tenderize the meat during marinating.
• Steam with minimum time to just allow the ribs to cook through, so it generates juicy and tender ribs. Overcooking will turn the ribs hard as rock.

How long does it take to steam ribs?

There are two approaches when it comes to cooking steamed ribs.

1. Use the shortest time, just to cook the meat through.
2. Cook for a very long time or cook in a pressure cooker, until the meat falls off the bones.

I would recommend the first approach if you like the rib texture found at a Chinese dim sum restaurant. It has a slightly crunchy texture that is juicy and tender, but not a fall-off-the-bone type of tender.

I also found the second approach too time-consuming and it cannot guarantee a great result. Just like braising, you need a really long time, one hour or more, to get the pork turning tender. If you happen to pick a lean ribs, the meat will remain tough, no matter how long you cook it.

As a rule of thumb, ribs that attach with a thin layer of meat take about 10 minutes to cook through. Meatier ribs take about 15 minutes, or up to 20 minutes, to cook through.

Where to get Asian style bite-size spare ribs for steaming?

Although you can easily find pre-cut bite-sized ribs in most Asian markets, I prefer to get it at a larger grocery store that has a butcher counter. The meat tends to be fresher and higher in quality. Simply ask the butcher to cut the ribs lengthwise across the bones into two long stripes. Then you can easily separate each rib by cutting through the meat when you’re ready to cook.

Always choose a thin slab of ribs with well-marbled meat, which generates a more flavorful and tender result.

What makes a great black bean sauce?

The best black bean sauce is made with fermented back soybeans. These flavor bombs are widely used in Chinese cuisine to make stir fries and steamed dishes, to impart a deep savory flavor.

To make black bean sauce from scratch, add ginger, garlic, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and oil. Then slowly roast the sauce over a low heat until it turns so fragrant that you want to eat it with a spoon.

However, if you want a quick version, I introduced an easier approach in the recipe below. You simply need to add aromatics and a few ingredients into the chopped black beans, to make a great sauce in under five minutes.

What if I cannot find fermented black beans?

Fermented black soybeans can be found in most Chinese markets and even online. If you cannot access them, simply replace them by using bottled black bean sauce. You can normally find it in any supermarket ethnic section.

As long as you follow the key points, a plate of hot finger-licking ribs will be waiting for you at the end of the cooking!

The biggest reason that I prefer steamed ribs is, they are easy to prepare and make no mess during cooking. It is one of my favorite dishes in summer, because it does not require me to stand in front of the stove and it does not turn my kitchen into a scorching oven.

Throw a few bok choy into the steamer and cook some steamed white rice on the side, and you will have a delicious and healthy meal in 20 minutes 🙂

More Dim Sum recipes at home

• Slow Roasted Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk, 脆皮烧肉)
• Chinese BBQ Char Siu (叉烧肉)
• Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup (港式云吞面)
• Cantonese Chicken Egg Roll (广式鸡肉春卷)

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.

Steamed Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)

By Maggie Zhu

4.84 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Soaking and marinating time: 1 hour hour 28 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 53 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

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My steamed ribs in black bean sauce are tender juicy pork spare ribs coated in a savory and garlicky marinade with fermented black beans, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. This classic Cantonese dim sum appetizer steams up on one plate with no mess.

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 lb pork baby back ribs , divided crosswise into 2” long ribs (*Footnote 1), then sliced into single riblet
• 1 green onion , sliced

Marinade

• 1 heaping tablespoon fermented black beans
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

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Instructions

• Add the pork ribs into a big bowl and add cold tap water to cover. Soak for 1 hour before cooking, to get rid of any impurities. Once done, rinse the ribs with cold running tap water, drain and pat dry. Transfer to a big bowl. (*Footnote 2)
• Combine the fermented black beans, ginger and garlic in a medium-sized heat proof bowl. Heat oil over medium heat in a small skillet until it shimmers. Immediately pour onto the black beans and aromatics. Stir to mix well. Add the Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
• Combine ribs with the sauce. Add the cornstarch and mix again to coat well. Marinate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, or in the fridge, up to overnight.
• To set up the steamer, use a large plate that has some depth (to hold the sauce) that can fit in your steamer. You will also need to use a wok or a skillet to hold the steamer. In the case of a skillet, you might need a rack to elevate the steamer, so the water underneath doesn’t touch the bottom of the steamer.
• Spread the ribs onto the plate with minimum overlap, along with the marinade, and place the plate into the steamer.
• Add plenty of water to the wok (or skillet) but not so deep it touches the bottom of the steamer. Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Place the steaming rack, covered, onto the wok. You should see steam rising from the top of the steamer. Cook over medium-high heat until the ribs are just cooked through, 20 minutes or so. Test the ribs by cutting through one. The juice should run clear. Cook, covered, checking at 5 minute increments to see if the ribs are done.
• Garnish with green onion. Serve hot.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. The easiest way to do this is to purchase the ribs at the butcher counter. Ask the butcher to cut the ribs in half crosswise, so they’ll fit better into the steamer. Try to select well-marbled meat that is not too thick, which will generate super tender and flavorful meat. You can also purchase pre-cut ribs at a Chinese grocery store. 
2. Soaking the ribs get rid of blood and some gamey taste. If you’re short on time, you can also skip this step. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 servings, Calories: 337kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.4g, Protein: 17.3g, Fat: 25.5g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 302mg, Potassium: 258mg, Sugar: 4.6g

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