STEAMED BLACK BEAN SPARERIBS

Steamed Black Bean Spareribs image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 pounds meaty pork sparerib tips, about 2 inches thick (see Headnote)
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black beans, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, such as Shaoxing
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and ground white pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
1 small red chile, such as Fresno, or mini bell pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Steps:

If the sparerib tips come in a slab, cut them into individual ribs.
Toss together the ribs, light soy sauce, fermented black beans, cooking wine, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper in a large bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
When the ribs are almost ready, prepare a steamer setup with a rack in a large pot or wok (see Cook's Note). Add enough water to the pot so it reaches just below the rack, cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Add the cornstarch and oil to the ribs and mix well. Place the ribs in a single layer on a large heatproof rimmed plate or shallow bowl that fits inside the pot. Sprinkle the ribs with the chiles.
Place the plate on the rack in the pot, cover and steam until the ribs are opaque on the exterior and cooked through, 25 to 28 minutes (see Cook's Note). Garnish with the scallions and carefully remove the plate from the pot using tongs or oven mitts.