2 May 2020
Last updated by Wes Radez on | 15
955 Shares
This recipe is part of our collection of Steamed Dim Sum Dishes. Sign up for our newsletter to get recipes, dining tips and restaurant reviews throughout the year!
Steamed pork ribs are made by steaming pork rib tips with whole black beans and oil to create a savory treat. The menu never specifies that the ribs or beer or pork, but diners know that they are never made with beef ribs because they are too big.
Before making this dish, visit a meat counter at your local Chinatown to buy the pork ribs. Your butcher will be able to select that are perfect for this dish, as well as cut them across the bones to create the right bite-sized morsels.
Once you have your ingredients, this dish becomes simple to make. It’s a great dish to make for friends because you can serve it with a flourish, without giving away how you were able to get ribs just the way they have them in the restaurant.
Can you share any expert tips from your experience making steamed pork ribs? Want to ask a question before you try making it yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
Steamed Pork Ribs Recipe
Makes: 4 Servings | Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Adapted From: Steamy Kitchen
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs pork spare rib tips
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Directions
1. Cut the spare ribs crosswise into 1-2″ sections.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Transfer spareribs and sauce into a shallow, heatproof pan that will fit inside a wok. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Set a steaming rack inside of a wok and fill with water almost up to height of rack. Turn heat to high and when water is boiling, reduce heat to medium-high.
4. Set the pan with the spareribs on top of a steaming rack in wok. Steam on medium-high heat for 18-20 minutes until ribs are no longer pink. Replenish wok with additional water, if needed.
Learn more about Steamed Pork Ribs from these Experts
Watch Dan Seto (and his mom) make Steamed Pork Ribs (VIDEO)
The good folks at Serious Eats tackle Steamed Pork Ribs
Chowhounders debate how to get that elusive dim sum-style taste for their ribs
HT: Photo by Esther Food Adventure.
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About The Author
Hi! I’m Wes, a dim sum lover in Oakland, California. I launched Dim Sum Central as a hobby and I’ve loved watching it grow to become an online home for people around the world who are passionate about eating and making dim sum! Get started »
15 Responses
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paul
|Reply
You left out the 1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes and minced red bell pepper. I find that using tapioca flour to work better than corn starch,too.If you use individual pyrex or ceramic ramkins in a steamer the results are better than one big bowl.
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Dim Sum Central
|Reply
Wonderful suggestions, Paul. Thank you! I’m planning to make these ribs in the next few weeks, so I’ll look forward to trying them with both the pepper flakes and the bell pepper added. ~Wes
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Wendy
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first I wash small cut ribs
then simmer for 30minutes with bay leaves and salt and vinegar
strain
remove bay and transfer to a bowl with the mashed fermented blacked to taste +
sesame oil
sweet soy
vinegar
salt
fish sauce
chilli slices
grated gingersteam for 1 hour gently
reduce liquid in a pan pour over ribs
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Dim Sum Central
|Reply
Thanks for sharing your technique, Wendy! Can you share measurements, or this a recipe you’ve done enough that you work from memory? 🙂 ~Wes
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Nida
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Can I cook it in a slow cooker instead of steam?
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Dim Sum Central
|Reply
It’s an interesting idea — I’ve never tried. Could you let us know how it goes? ~Wes
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Chinese Recipe Steamed Pork Ribs | Food Recipes
|Reply
[…] How to Make Steamed Pork Ribs […]
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Joe
|Reply
I soak the ribs in water with Baking soda for a half hour, then rinse. If I don’t I end up with a funky taste, that I think comes from the blood or marrow
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Wes Radez
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Thanks for that tip, Joe. What’s the ratio to baking soda to water that you use? ~Wes
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Joe
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not sure, I cook small amounts, so cereal bowl with ribs, just cover with water and about half teaspoon of baking soda.
The secret weapon is one Chinese salted plum crushed into the mix.
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Wes Radez
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Now that’s some good intel! Will try myself next time on both points. ~Wes
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Joe
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sorry, the secret weapon is pickled plum not salted
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Wes Radez
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Roger that. ~Wes
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Tom Wagner
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We tried your recipe once already and it was almost exactly like the spareribs that we get at our favorite dim sum diner in Chinatown, Los Angeles (Ocean Seafood). Really great recipe – and thank you for not rhapsodizing on and on about your childhood experiences before getting to the actual recipe like so many websites do. You’d think that by now they would have figured out that nobody reads their life story and we all just scroll down to the actual recipe.
You got recipes for shrimp noodle and har gow?
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Wes Radez
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Hey Tom, glad that recipe worked out for you. Here are the recipes for shrimp cheung fun and har gow. Enjoy! ~Wes
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