Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans

• 1.5 lb pork spare ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and lightly mashed
• 2 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp ginger, finely minced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced
• 1 red chili, sliced into thin rings (optional)

1. 1

   Rinse the ribs under cold water and drain well — wet ribs mean your marinade slides off instead of clinging, so pat them dry with a towel if they're still weeping.

2. 2

   Mash the rinsed black beans lightly with the back of a spoon; you want them broken open, not pulverized, so their salty funk distributes through the marinade instead of sitting in clumps.

3. 3

   Combine the black beans, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the ribs and toss with your hands until every piece is coated. Let it sit 15 minutes — that cornstarch is doing the velveting work, building the silky texture the dish lives or dies by.

4. 4

   Add the neutral oil and toss again right before cooking; the oil seals the marinade to the meat so the steam can't wash it off.

5. 5

   Spread the ribs in a single layer on a heatproof dish that fits inside your steamer — overlapping means uneven cooking and the pieces on top turn grey and sad while the bottom ones overcook.

6. 6

   Set up your steamer with water at a rolling boil. Carefully set the dish in, cover, and steam over high heat for 20 minutes. The ribs are done when the meat has pulled back from the bone and the pooled juices run clear, not pink.

7. 7

   Scatter the scallion greens and chili rings over the top and serve immediately straight from the dish, spooning the glossy sauce over rice.

8. 8

   Mise first, cook fast — once the steamer's going, there's nothing to fiddle with, so get your rice ready before the ribs hit the steam.

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