豆汁蒸排骨
A quintessential dim-sum dish, and probably one of my favorites -- I will always get it if I see it. The flavor combination is pretty unique and can seem somewhat intimidating to replicate, but it's actually surprisingly simple to make. The key ingredient is 豆汁, or fermented black beans. You don't need a lot, a little goes a long way. Obviously it's traditionally prepared in much smaller batches, but I made a large plate of it. Goes great with other dim sum dishes (obviously), or just over rice!
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
> spare ribs (1 lb)
> sugar (1/2 tbsp)
> salt (1 tsp)
> Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp)
> sesame oil (1 tsp)
> white pepper (1/8 tsp)
> corn starch (2 tbsp)
> water (1 tbsp)
> soy sauce (1 tsp)
> fermented black beans (1 tbsp)
Instructions
1. Cut the spare ribs into pieces, and marinade with all of the ingredients except the fermented black beans. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes, ideally several hours.
2. Thoroughly rinse the fermented black beans under warm water for ~15 seconds to rehydrate them.
3. Arrange the spare ribs in a heatproof plate/bowl, top with the black beans, and steam for around 20-45 minutes, depending on the amount of spare ribs and the steamer arrangement.
Notes/Tips:
> I saw one recipe which called for the spare ribs to be steamed for 10 minutes ... which seemed so obviously wrong. That's nowhere near enough, and it was still raw after 10 minutes. In practice I think a longer time at a lower heat (probably something like 45-60 minutes over medium heat) is ideal.
> Because of the corn starch, the "marinade" should not really be liquid at all, and it should cling the spare ribs. You may need to add more corn starch or less water if you're not getting that result.