Steamed pork ribs with red yeast rice on rice
Pork ribs marinated in ground red yeast rice and golden garlic, then steamed until tender and rosy red — savoury, appetising and great spooned over rice.
- 40 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types have sluggish circulation and a dull complexion and are prone to bruising or period pain, and Hanlu's cooler mornings and evenings make the blood more sluggish still. Red yeast rice invigorates the blood and aids digestion, garlic and ginger warm and free the yang, and pork ribs nourish without heaviness. Steamed to keep the juices, it's rosy, appetising and filling.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min- 1Grind the red yeast rice to a powder in a blender or mortar. Soak the ribs in water for 15 minutes to draw out the blood, then drain and pat dry.
- 2Finely chop the garlic, fry in the oil until golden and pour it, oil and all, over the ribs.
- 3Add the red yeast powder, soy sauce, wine, sugar and cornflour to the ribs, mix well and leave for 20 minutes.
- 4Spread the ribs on a plate, top with the ginger and steam over boiling water on a high heat for 15–18 minutes until cooked through; scatter with spring onion.
- 5Blanch the gai lan and serve with the ribs and rice.
Cautions
- Red yeast rice moves the blood, so avoid it in pregnancy; check with your doctor first if you take cholesterol-lowering statins.
Chef's tips
- Organic shops and herbalists sell red yeast rice; if you can't find it, a cube of fermented red bean curd gives a similar colour and flavour.
The TCM view
Red yeast rice is sweet and warm, entering the liver, spleen and large intestine, invigorating the blood, dispersing stasis and aiding digestion — the Bencao Gangmu says it 'aids digestion, invigorates the blood and strengthens the spleen'. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and moistening dryness; garlic is pungent and warm, warming the middle and moving stagnation; ginger warms the middle and dispels cold.
