Black bean spare ribs are bite-size bone-in pork pieces steamed in a shallow plate with fermented soybean seasoning. They are not baked barbecue ribs, and their sauce comes from a light marinade and cooked meat juices rather than a thick glaze.
Choose short rib sections and fermented beans
For four shared portions use 450 g ribs cut across the bone into short sections, 1 tablespoon dried fermented black beans, optional 1 teaspoon softened dried mandarin peel, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon minced ginger and 2 sliced scallions. Marinade: 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon light soy, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Lightly oil the steaming plate with 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil.
The formulation follows Made With Lau’s spare ribs, omitting the source’s extra starch used during raw-rib washing. Fermented black beans are seasoned soybeans, not cooked black turtle beans. Bottled black bean sauce is a different product with different salt and liquid.
Prepare a light coating, not a raw-meat rinse
Ask the butcher to cut through bones rather than using an unsuitable kitchen knife. Inspect for loose bone fragments. Briefly rinse the fermented beans and rehydrate peel until pliable; drain, chop peel finely and crush beans coarsely. Pat ribs dry without washing raw pork under the tap. USDA discourages raw-meat washing because of cross-contamination.
Mix ribs with seasoning, beans, garlic, ginger and optional peel; cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes. Spread in a shallow layer with room for juices, not a heap. A larger amount belongs on another plate or in a second batch.
Steam until meat beside the bone is cooked
Place the dish above already boiling water, cover, and begin checking around 20 minutes. Probe thick meat without touching bone. Whole-cut pork requires at least 145 F (63 C) and a three-minute rest under official temperature guidance. Some ribs need more time for an agreeable texture after reaching that minimum. Color, a loose bone or a thin piece’s reading cannot stand in for checking thicker pieces.
Add scallions and serve with rice. Keep water below the plate, replenish safely and lift the lid away from your face. The finished juices are served only after the ribs are fully cooked.
If salty, use less additional salt next time before changing the black beans that identify the dish. If greasy, select a less fatty rib section and remove obvious excess fat before cooking. For other steamed plates see pork patty and chicken with mushrooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the ribs fall off the bone?
Not necessarily. This dim sum style can retain a gentle bite. Cook longer if unpleasantly tough, but safe internal temperature and preferred tenderness are separate checks.
Can I replace fermented beans with a can of black beans?
No. Canned black beans are not the salty fermented soybean seasoning used here. Use a suitable fermented product and inspect its ingredient label.
AI-generated illustrations, if used, are not photographs of a tested batch.