← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 500 g pork spare ribs, chopped into 3 cm pieces (ask the butcher)
• 1 tbsp Fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 Red chilli, sliced (optional)
• 1 Spring onion, sliced

Method

1. Rinse the ribs in cold water, then soak them in fresh water for 10 min to draw out the blood. Drain and pat them very dry.
2. Mix the ribs with the black beans, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and salt. Sprinkle over the cornflour and mix again, then stir in the oil and sesame oil. Leave to marinate for 30 min (or overnight in the fridge).
3. Spread the ribs in a single layer on a heatproof plate that fits your steamer and scatter the chilli over.
4. Bring the water in the steamer to a rolling boil, put the plate in, cover and steam over high heat for 18–20 min, until the meat is opaque right to the bone and comes away easily.
5. Scatter with spring onion and serve hot with rice, spooning over the juices from the plate.

Tips

• A shallow layer cooks evenly; if the ribs are piled up, add a few minutes and check the centre pieces.
• Swap in a small piece of soaked dried tangerine peel for a fragrant restaurant touch.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Made With Lau Omnivore's Cookbook Wok and Kin