Steamed Salted Radish Pork Baby Back Ribs (菜脯蒸排骨, Coi3 Pou2 Zing1 Paai4 Gwat1)

This is an easy to prepare spicy pork rib recipe using salted radish. Salted radish brands from China tend to have some sweetness, together with saltiness, while brands from Thailand are either salty or sweet. Depending upon your preference, pick the brand that suits your tastes. For this dish I chose a salty Thai brand. Steaming takes only 30 minutes to finish the dish. The pork ribs should be marinated beforehand, but this certainly can be omitted if desired. Serve with some vegetables and rice, and dinner is served!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1½ lb.	750 g.	Pork baby back ribs (排骨, paai4 gwat1), cut into individual ribs
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
		Enough salted radish (菜脯, coi3 pou2) to top the pork ribs
		Water for steaming

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
12 in.	30 cm.	Steamer (or larger)
9 in.	23 cm.	Plate or bowl for steaming
		Plate lifter

 

Instructions

Butterfly Brand Salted Radish
(菜脯, coi3 pou2)

The number of individual pork baby back ribs needed depends upon the size of your steaming bowl. For a 9-inch (23 cm.) plate, approximately 8 ribs (about ½ a rack of baby back ribs) can be used. Since pork baby back ribs usually are packaged as a full rack, you’ll use only a portion of the full rack to make this dish. The remainder of the pork ribs can be used for other dishes.

1. Remove the membrane from the back of the spareribs before cutting into individual pieces. Use your fingers or a small knife to poke under the membrane starting at the end with the largest rib bone and then pull the membrane the length of the spareribs towards the smaller bones. You usually have to do this in stages especially if the membrane doesn’t come off all at once and in one piece. Cut enough ribs from the full rack to fill the steaming plate (about 7-8 ribs). Place the pork baby back ribs into the steaming plate.
2. Marinate the pork in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the pork overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Arrange the pork baby back ribs in the steaming plate and then top with the salted radish. The amount of salted radish used for the topping depends upon the number of ribs being steamed. Salted radish brands from China tend to have some sweetness, together with saltiness, while brands from Thailand are either salty or sweet. Depending upon your preference, pick the brand that suits your tastes. For this dish I chose a salty Thai brand.
4. Add water to the steamer and cover. Bring the water in the steamer to a vigorous boil before adding the plate with the pork baby back ribs and steam on high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and steam for another 25 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, use a plate lifter to remove the plate with the pork baby back ribs from the steamer. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.