Steamed pork ribs with amomum and tangerine peel
Bite-sized pork ribs steamed with fragrant amomum seeds and aged tangerine peel — aromatic, light and quick to make, with no deep-frying.
- 43 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp heat rises after Start of Summer, and a Phlegm-damp constitution easily feels a tight chest, bloating and a thick tongue coating. Amomum and tangerine peel are both excellent for resolving damp and moving qi, and steaming the ribs instead of frying keeps them fragrant but light — a good summer dinner.
Method
Prep 25 min · Cook 18 min- 1Soak the ribs in cold water for 10 minutes to draw out the blood, then drain and pat dry.
- 2Mix with the amomum, tangerine peel, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sugar and marinate for 15 minutes, then stir in the cornflour and oil.
- 3Spread in a single layer on a plate and steam over boiling water on high for 15–18 minutes until cooked through.
- 4Scatter with the spring onion and serve.
Cautions
- Amomum and tangerine peel are warm and drying, so use less if you have a dry mouth, red tongue or constipation; choose leaner ribs, as fatty meat doesn't suit Phlegm-damp.
Chef's tips
- Spread the ribs in one layer without overlapping so they steam evenly. Crush the amomum to release its aroma — look for it at Chinese herbal or dried-goods shops.
The TCM view
Amomum is pungent and warm, resolving damp, opening the appetite, warming the spleen and moving qi. Tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, regulating qi, strengthening the spleen and drying damp to transform phlegm. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral and builds strength, while ginger and garlic rouse the spleen and warm the stomach. Moves qi and resolves damp, nourishing without clogging — suited to Phlegm-damp.
