Steamed Pork Ribs with Sweet Potatoes
This Steamed Pork Ribs with Sweet Potatoes is tender, juicy, and slightly chewy, while the sweet potatoes become soft and naturally sweet. You also get a fragrant, savoury sauce with a natural sweetness from both the ribs and sweet potatoes.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Main Ingredient
- +/- 400 grams pork ribs 排骨 +/- 400 克
- 90 grams sweet potato 红薯 90 克
- 1 bay leaf 月桂叶 1 片
- 1 star anise 八角 1 颗
Marinate 腌料
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2茶匙盐
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 1茶匙生抽
- 2 cloves garlic minced 2瓣蒜，切碎
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger 1/2汤匙姜末
- 1.5 teaspoon cornstarch 1.5茶匙玉米淀粉
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1汤匙食用油
Garnish 装饰
- 1 sprig spring onion, julienned 1根香菜，切丝
Instructions
Prepare the sweet potatoes
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into thin, even pieces.
- Arrange them on a heatproof plate in a single layer.
- Once the water in the wok comes to a boil, steam the sweet potatoes on high heat for 10 minutes until just soft.
Clean the pork ribs
- Rinse the pork ribs a few times until the water runs clear.
- Add a little salt and cornstarch.
- Mix well, then rinse again to remove impurities.
- Drain thoroughly to remove excess water.
Marinate the ribs
- In a bowl, add pork ribs, salt, light soy sauce, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
- Mix well.
- Add cornstarch and mix again. (This helps soften the edges of the meat.)
- Drizzle in a little oil. (This helps lock in moisture.)
- Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Combine with sweet potatoes
- Once the sweet potatoes have softened, mash them.
- Gently mix them into the marinated pork ribs.
Prepare to steam
- Place one bay leaf and one star anise on a clean heatproof plate.
- Add the sweet potato and pork mixture on top.
- Spread it out evenly.
Steam the dish
- Bring the water in the wok to a boil.
- Steam the ribs on high heat for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Check that the wok does not run out of water while steaming.
Garnish and serve
- Carefully remove the plate from the wok.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with a bowl of rice.
Notes
Pre-wash with cornstarch and salt:
This helps remove impurities and gives the ribs a cleaner taste. Rinse thoroughly after. Cornstarch for tenderness:
A small amount of cornstarch in the marinade helps coat the meat and soften the outer layer after steaming. Place the spices beneath the ribs:
Placing the bay leaf and star anise underneath helps infuse a subtle fragrance into the dish. Do not over steam:
About 20 minutes is ideal. Over steaming may make the ribs tough. Check the water level:
Make sure the wok does not run out of water during steaming. Use good quality spices:
Good quality spices, especially bay leaf, will give a more noticeable fragrance.
This helps remove impurities and gives the ribs a cleaner taste. Rinse thoroughly after. Cornstarch for tenderness:
A small amount of cornstarch in the marinade helps coat the meat and soften the outer layer after steaming. Place the spices beneath the ribs:
Placing the bay leaf and star anise underneath helps infuse a subtle fragrance into the dish. Do not over steam:
About 20 minutes is ideal. Over steaming may make the ribs tough. Check the water level:
Make sure the wok does not run out of water during steaming. Use good quality spices:
Good quality spices, especially bay leaf, will give a more noticeable fragrance.