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Home » Recipe Index » Meat and Poultry » Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans

Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans

Published: Oct 15, 2018 · Modified: Jun 11, 2020 by Lalaine Manalo · This post may contain affiliate links

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Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans are your favorite dim sum made quick and easy right in your own home! With juicy pork ribs and flavorful sauce, they're perfect with rice.

spare ribs with black bean sauce cooked in a steamer
Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans

My daughter, Liane, has been living on her own for a while now, ever since she took a nursing position in Northern California a couple of years ago. Although I am already used to her being miles away, I still miss my big brat terribly.

Not only do I long for our long conversations about anything and everything, but I also miss our many food adventures. Eating out and discovering new restaurants have always been our favorite bonding activities.

We both enjoy Korean BBQs and all-you-can-eat sushi, but on the top of our list is dim sum. We used to go once a week when she was in college, and we'd always pile our table with mini bowls of congee and plates of chicken feet, dumplings, and of course, steamed spareribs with black beans.

cut spare ribs in a bowl with black beans, soy sauce, and green onions on the side

I was craving for these delectable pork ribs this weekend, but since going to a dim sum house by myself wouldn't have been as much fun, I decided to make them at home instead. And if I may say so, they turned out just as delicious as in our favorite Chinese restaurants!

The dish is so easy to put together, I can't believe how much restaurants charge for a small plateful. You're lucky if you got more than five riblets in one serving!

pork ribs marinated with black bean sauce

Cooking tips

  • I use pre-cut pork ribs called "soft bone" which has a bit more fat marbling and soft white bones. If using regular spareribs, have the butcher cut the slab lengthwise into halves and just cut into bite-sized pieces by slicing between the bones.
  • For extra depth of flavor, make sure to marinate the ribs for at least 30 minutes or overnight for best results.
  • Like in our salt and pepper pork chops recipe, the key to super tender and velvety meat is coating with cornstarch! Note that there will be barely any liquid once you add the cornstarch to the ribs and that is OK.
  • Use a shallow plate with about 1-inch depth to hold the flavorful juices dispelled during steaming. To ensure even cooking, make sure it's wide enough to place the meat in a single layer without too much overlapping. You can use small plates if you'd like to serve dim sum style.
  • Do not overcook the ribs or they'll turn tough and chewy. I usually cook small bite-sized pieces for about 15 to 20 minutes and another five minutes if they're extra meaty.
  • If you want a bit of heat, add chopped Thai chili peppers along with the green onions when ready to serve.

Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans in a white serving bowl

How to serve

  • These steamed pork ribs are filling and delicious on their own but also pair well with steamed rice. They make a great brunch or light dinner meal!
  • To store leftovers, keep in airtight containers and refrigerate for up 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat, steam for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

For more Asian favorites, check out these House Special Fried Rice, Cashew Chicken, and Chinese Pearl Balls recipes. Enjoy!

spare ribs with black bean sauce cooked in a steamer
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4.09 from 24 votes

Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans

Steamed Pork Ribs with fermented Black Beans are super tender, full of flavor, and perfect with steamed rice. They're so quick and easy to make, you can enjoy this popular dim sum right in your own home!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Marinating30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Entree
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 453kcal
Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork spareribs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine
  • 2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons fermented black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse pork ribs and drain very well. Pat dry.
  • In a bowl, combine pork ribs, Chinese wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and sugar. Stir to fully coat meat and marinate for about 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Add cornstarch and combine until ribs are coated. Add black beans and stir to distribute.
  • Transfer pork into a heat-proof wide, shallow plate.
  • Prepare a steamer by bringing about two inches of water to a boil.
  • Place plate of ribs in the steamer basket, cover, and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and cooked through. 
  • Sprinkle with green onions if desired. Serve hot.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 384mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see what you made!mention @Kawalingpinoy and hashtag your photo with #kawalingpinoy

 

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Lalaine from Kawaling Pinoy

Hello! My name is Lalaine and welcome to Kawaling Pinoy where you’ll find Filipino and Asian-inspired recipes, cooking tips, and how-to videos. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. R says

    May 12, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    What brand of black beans do you recommend for this?
    I've never used them to cook before so I'm not sure what kind would be good.

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      June 10, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      I use Temple brand 🙂

      Reply
  2. KATHY says

    January 03, 2020 at 3:21 am

    Hi what chinese cooking wine did you put and where to get them? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:38 am

      It's Shaoxing cooking wine and I bought it at an Asian supermarket. You can also order it on Amazon 🙂

      Reply
  3. Rusira.Taremon says

    May 01, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    Can i use boneless pork for this recipe

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      September 09, 2019 at 9:39 am

      I haven't tried boneless pork but it might work.

      Reply
  4. joyce says

    February 20, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    Your recipe does not tell me when to put in the sesame oil. It doesn't give me any information about the sesame oil when to put it into marinade or at the end or anything. Please tell me what to do with the sesame oil please. This is an error in the recipe.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      February 21, 2019 at 5:52 am

      Hello Joyce,

      I apologize, I forgot to add it in the instructions. 🙁 I corrected the recipe.

      Reply
  5. Carol dacumos says

    December 15, 2018 at 2:39 am

    5 stars
    thank you this recipe.. it was so good..

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 15, 2018 at 3:49 am

      Thank you so much, Carol, for taking the time to leave feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  6. Isatish says

    November 24, 2018 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing. Your recipes are easy to follow and yummy.
    If I opt not to steam but instead slow cook the ribs ---would it still be watery and taste the same.
    Will the cornstarch have the same effect/

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      November 25, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      I haven't personally tried it but I am sure this recipe will work in a slow cooker as well. Yes, the cornstarch will have the same effect, it's a velveting technique which makes meat super soft and tender.

      Reply
  7. Jane says

    November 05, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Hi Lalaine. If we’re steaming the ribs then there won’t be sauce right ? So do you use the water that was used to boil as the sauce ? Your picture shows a good amount of sauce

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      November 06, 2018 at 5:06 am

      Hello Jane,

      The ribs will be dry when mixed with the marinade and the cornstarch but the meat will dispel juices when steamed.

      Reply
    • Arnan Comia says

      June 17, 2019 at 3:04 am

      Can i steam it in foil?

      Reply
      • Lalaine Manalo says

        September 09, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Yes, you can 🙂

        Reply
  8. RAMON M ONG says

    October 15, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe for steamed spareribs, thanks! Have fun in the Philippines, dear Balikbayan. Some advice.
    Spam is cheaper (US $ 3) in the Philippines than in the USA. Colgate toothpaste is cheaper too (made locally). Bring CREST Toothpaste, which is not available here. Imported cosmetics are expensive in the Philippines.

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      September 09, 2019 at 9:39 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Ray R Romero, MD says

    October 15, 2018 at 5:49 am

    Will give it a try and will let you know how it turns out.

    Mahalo,

    Ray

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      July 22, 2019 at 5:50 am

      Don't forget to let us know, Ray!

      Reply
  10. Celia Reyes says

    August 23, 2018 at 8:24 am

    Want to learn more..

    Reply
  11. L K says

    March 20, 2017 at 11:06 am

    Looking forward to trying your recipe. I never cooked with dried fermented black beans before. But I am open to trying new things. What kind of pork ribs did you use? Country style pork, baby back pork, or Louis Style spare ribs? Was it with bones or bone less?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 15, 2018 at 1:49 am

      I used what they call soft bones in Asian supermarkets. They're the softer part of the ribs with the white bones. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  12. Ruby says

    September 12, 2016 at 9:24 am

    I also made this over the weekend. Bf loved it! :3

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      September 13, 2016 at 10:32 am

      🙂

      Reply
  13. Ruby says

    August 08, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    Can you get the black beans in Seafood City?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 09, 2016 at 6:23 am

      Hi Ruby

      Yes, you can get them at Seafood City, they're usually in the canned vegetables aisle along with the green peas, mushrooms. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Raymund says

    August 12, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    5 stars
    Yum, sarap neto papakin

    Reply
  15. Glitch says

    August 05, 2015 at 1:34 am

    5 stars
    The food sounds delicious, definitely a try! keep posting. more power to you and to your website 🙂

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 09, 2015 at 9:39 am

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply

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