Steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans and butternut squash

Last Updated on October 17, 2020 by Simon Fan

Steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans is one of my favorite dishes from Cantonese dim sum houses.

Thanks to the power of steam, the ribs become juicy with a perfectly soft and chewy texture. The fermented black beans give the dish its signature aroma and a boost of umami. With only two main ingredients and the simple steaming method, this dish exemplifies the minimalist approach of Cantonese cooking.

For a long time, I felt it’s such a perfect dish that no tweaking or improvement would be necessary. Then one day I was at a dim sum house in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park and discovered a version with the addition of small pumpkin cubes. The sweetness of the pumpkin nicely counterbalanced the saltiness of the black beans and brightened the dish with the color and scent of autumn. What a great idea!

So, in my recipe below, I’m stealing that idea. My experiments showed that other types of winter squash also work well for the recipe, and butternut squash turned out to be my favorite choice.

When winter squash is abundant at this time of the year, it’s also a great idea to reverse the ratio of the ingredients in the recipe to turn it into primarily a winter squash dish, with pork ribs only playing a supporting role to enhance the flavors.

Steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans and butternut squash

Serves 2

Ingredients

1lb (450 g) pork ribs, cut through the bones by your butcher into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slabs

Marinade
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, crushed with the back of a spoon
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

6 oz (170 g) butternut squash or pumpkin, or any other type of winter squash, cut into ⅓-inch (8 mm) cubes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

1. Cut the pork ribs through the meat between each bone, creating small pieces. Soak them in water for 10 minutes to remove the blood, then drain well. In a bowl, mix them with the ingredients for the marinade and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Combine the ribs with the butternut squash and oil, and place them on a heatproof plate that fits into a steamer, or two plates into a two-tier steamer. Steam over high heat until the ribs are cooked through (the meat should be tender with a bit of bounce and chew), 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed and serve right away.