Name: Pork Ribs in Black Bean Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 800 g pork ribs; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice wine; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 30 g black beans; 4 cloves garlic; 20 g ginger; 3 pcs spring onion; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 pc red chilli pepper; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 300 g rice

Step by step process

Marinating

1
Pork ribs in black bean sauce start with the meat. Chop the ribs through the bone with a sharp knife into pieces about four centimeters long, so they cook evenly later. Transfer them to a roomy bowl.
TIP:
Before quickly stir-frying in a wok, marinate the meat in soy sauce, wine, or another liquid with a little starch. It creates a delicate coating, keeps the meat juicy, and lightly thickens the sauce.
2
Pour soy sauce over the meat along with rice wine, which perfumes and tenderizes it. Sprinkle with cornstarch and mix everything thoroughly by hand until each piece is evenly coated. Let it rest for about 20 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld.

Preparing the sauce

3
Rinse the fermented black beans under cold water and pat them dry. Mash them coarsely with a fork or the flat side of a knife to release their aroma. Peel the garlic and ginger and chop them as finely as possible. Chop the white parts of the spring onion, and set the more delicate green parts aside for garnish.
4
Coat a heated wok with vegetable oil. Over medium heat, saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant and golden. Add the mashed beans and saute for about another minute, stirring constantly, so their deep salty flavor develops.
TIP:
Heat the oil to medium-high temperature, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté them until the onion becomes translucent and golden and they release an intense aroma. Proper sautéing creates a rich flavor without burning.

Braising and finishing

5
Add the marinated ribs and sear them quickly on all sides over higher heat, so they seal and take on color. Pour in enough water for them to be half submerged. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, and chopped white onion. Toss in slices of red chili pepper to taste.
6
Cover with a lid and braise over low heat for about 45 minutes, until the meat softens enough to pull easily off the bone and the sauce thickens. Stir gently now and then, and add a splash of water if needed.
7
Finally, season the sauce with sesame oil, stir carefully, and scatter generously with green onion. Serve hot with steamed rice, spooning the thick sauce generously over it.

More tips:

Fermented black beans, or douchi, are quite salty, so add both the soy and oyster sauce sparingly and adjust the seasoning only at the end. If you cannot find douchi, ready-made black bean paste from an Asian grocery works too.

The ribs turn out more tender if, instead of braising them in the sauce, you steam them dim sum style for 40 minutes and add the sauce only at the end.

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Comfort Food Recipes Fermented Food Recipes Recipes for the Whole Family Juicy Recipes Traditional National Dishes Spicy Recipes Umami Recipes Well-Spiced Recipes Wok Recipes