Black Bean Spare Ribs Recipe

Cooking time for these 15-minute black bean spare ribs is quick and straightforward. Ribs marinated in a black bean sauce are a delicacy. This is a must-make dish.

Diana Kuan, the author of Appetite for China, will be writing a guest post on Rasa Malaysia today. Her work has been published in the Food and Wine, Boston Globe, and other magazines. Diana is a freelance writer and cooking instructor in Beijing.

Please join us in welcoming Appetite for China, sharing her recipe for spicy black bean spare ribs with us today.

In Chinese cuisine, fermented black beans are an essential element. You can use it to spice steamed fish, eggplant, or my favorite Sichuan dish, twice-cooked pork. A spoonful of black beans has so much flavor you don’t even need salt to bring out its earthy aroma.

There are many ways to incorporate fermented black beans into your diet. Of course, a Chinese grocery store carries pre-made black bean sauce. My new favorite condiment is spicy black bean sauce with chili peppers. It’s always handy to have a tiny bottle in the fridge for when I need a quick and easy dressing.

If so, have you ever had it at a Chinese dim sum restaurant? Everyone’s favorite tender ribs in a bamboo steamer, doused in a dark garlicky sauce. Regardless of how amazing they already taste, have you ever imagined how much better they’d be pan-fried and served with a spicier sauce?

These spare ribs cook in about 15 minutes and require minimal ingredients cutting. The sweetness of the brown sugar contrasts with the spiciness of the chile oil and black beans. You’ll also want some rice on hand to mop up the sauce, which is quite addicting.

What is the average number of calories in one serving?

• Each serving of this recipe contains only 486 calories.

With this recipe, what are its complementary dishes?

I’ve compiled a collection of recipes that are both healthy and quick enough to prepare on a weeknight.

• Bak Kut Teh
• Chinese Fried Rice
• Asian Five-Spice Chicken
• Baby Bok Choy with Shrimp

Ingredients

• white sesame seeds for garnish, optional
• thinly sliced scallions or leeks for garnish, optional
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 1/2 pounds (600 g) pork spare ribs, cut to 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium-sized leek, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil or peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons spicy black bean sauce or 2 tablespoons black bean sauce with 1/2 tablespoon chili oil
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Mix the ingredients of the sauce in your bowl. Set away for a later time.
2. To begin, heat the oil in a wok or frypan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the spare ribs for about 4 to 5 minutes until they’re browned on all sides. Then add the leek, garlic, and ginger and simmer for approximately a minute. A mixture of sauce and water should be poured in. Simmer for around 10 minutes with a lid on. Rib spare ribs should be coated in the reduced sauce before cooking garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired, and serve with basmati rice.