Steamed pork spare ribs are a classic dish at dim sum! It’s also a dish my parents would often make at home, my favorite version being this one with fermented black bean and kabocha squash.
How to make delicious steamed pork spare ribs at home
At restaurants, they achieve the light color on these ribs by keeping them under a constant running stream of water. I don’t really care to achieve that at home, but promise that these are super tasty. These pork ribs are tenderized by the cornstarch and baking soda, and infused with extra flavor from papa smelly’s aromatic oil. He’s always taught me that having both raw aromatics and cooked, fragrant aromatics add depth of flavor (there’s even a Cantonese phrase for this)!
The kabocha squash soaks up all the delicious juices from the pork and the marinade — I find myself eating all of the squash first because it’s so good! If you don’t like kabocha, my family also sometimes subs taro. Or you can just leave it out completely and increase the amount of pork!
Where to buy pork spare ribs
You can buy these mostly prepped spare ribs (like the ones shown in the video) at Costco or 99 Ranch! Since they come in strips, there's need to chop through bones. You can also get them prepped this way at many Asian grocery stores with a butcher.
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Steamed Pork Spare Ribs with Kabocha Squash
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz pork spare ribs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 oz kabocha squash or taro, (if not using, can increase pork to 1lb and increase marinade ingredients by 1.5)
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon fermented black bean
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/16 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/16 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
- 1 inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
Aromatic oil
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed, canola, vegetable, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
- 1 tablespoon fermented black bean
- tiny pinch salt
Optional garnish
- cilantro or scallions
- red peppers
Instructions
Prepare the aromatics
- Prepare fermented black bean by rinsing them then soaking in warm water. Let sit while you prepare other ingredients.
- Mince the garlic and shallots (2 tablespoon of each total, which will be split between the marinade and the aromatic oil). Thinly slice the ginger.
Prepare and marinade the pork
- Slice pork spare ribs into individual 1-2 inch pieces. Rinse under cool water, drain, then add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, massage, and rinse until water runs clear. Drain and dry well with a paper towel.10-12 oz pork spare ribs, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add all the ingredients in the marinade, except for the cornstarch and sesame oil. For more black bean flavor, crush some of the black beans.1 tablespoon fermented black bean, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/16 teaspoon white pepper, 1/16 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion, 1 inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
- Mix well, then add cornstarch. Once incorporated, add sesame oil, give it a final mix, then let it marinate for 15-30 min.1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ tablespoon sesame oil
Prepare the kabocha and aromatic oil
- In the meantime, slice the kabocha squash into ¼ inch thick pieces. If it’s too hard to slice through, microwave or steam the squash for a few minutes until it softens a bit.6 oz kabocha squash
- Prepare the aromatic oil by heating up 2 tablespoon neutral oil with the remaining minced garlic, shallots, fermented black bean, and a tiny pinch of salt. To release more black bean flavor, crush some of them in the oil. Cook on medium heat until fragrant, or about 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoon neutral oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon fermented black bean, tiny pinch salt, 1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
Steam the pork ribs
- Using a plate that has sides (not a completely flat plate), arrange a single layer of kabocha squash on the bottom. Top with a single layer of the marinated pork spare ribs and any remaining marinade. Spoon some of the aromatic oil all over the top.
- Steam covered for 20 minutes. Heat has to be high enough to maintain a steady amount of steam during the cooking process. Carefully remove, top with garnishes, and enjoy!cilantro or scallions, red peppers
