Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce
A dim sum classic: bite-size pork spare ribs marinated with fermented black beans, garlic and chili, then steamed until tender and juicy in their own savoury sauce. Simple to make at home.
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Start your free weekContinue with free accessClean the ribs
Soak the ribs in cold water for 15 minutes to draw out the blood, which gives a cleaner taste. Drain and pat very dry.
Marinate
Mix the ribs with the black beans, garlic, chili, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and salt. Add the cornstarch and oil and mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
Steam
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Serve
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Clean the ribs
Soak the ribs in cold water for 15 minutes to draw out the blood, which gives a cleaner taste. Drain and pat very dry.
Marinate
Mix the ribs with the black beans, garlic, chili, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and salt. Add the cornstarch and oil and mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
Steam
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Steamed spare ribs are one of the essential dishes of yum cha, the Cantonese ritual of tea and dim sum. They arrive in small bamboo steamers alongside har gow and siu mai.
Fermented black beans (dou si) — soybeans salted and fermented until black — have been used in Chinese cooking for over 2,000 years.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Steaming keeps the ribs incredibly juicy, while the black beans and garlic give a deep, savoury punch.
💡 Fun Fact
Fermented black beans are one of the oldest preserved foods in China — samples have been found in a Han dynasty tomb from around 165 BC.
Guangzhou, Guangdong
23.13°N, 113.26°E
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