Steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce on rice
Spare ribs marinated with fermented black beans and garlic, cooked on top of the rice with taro so the juices soak in — a one-pot lunch.
- 45 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: A balanced constitution does best with balance — neither too rich nor too plain. In the muggy heat of Grain in Ear appetites flag, and savoury black bean ribs wake them up while taro supports the spleen. It all cooks in the rice cooker, with little oil and little washing-up.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min- 1Rinse and pat dry the ribs, mix with the black beans, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and cornflour, then the oil, and marinate for 20 minutes. Wearing gloves, peel and dice the taro.
- 2Rinse the rice and cook it in a rice cooker with the usual amount of water. When the water is nearly absorbed and steam holes appear, quickly spread the taro and ribs on top.
- 3Close the lid and cook until the cooker clicks off, leave for 10 minutes more, then scatter with spring onion and chilli and mix through.
Cautions
- Taro sap makes skin itch, so wear gloves when peeling; always cook taro through.
Chef's tips
- Dice the taro small so it cooks in time; pumpkin works if you have no taro.
The TCM view
Pork ribs are sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and supporting qi and blood. Fermented black beans are pungent, sweet and slightly bitter, settling the stomach and easing restlessness. Taro is sweet, pungent and neutral, strengthening the spleen; garlic warms the middle. Together they awaken the appetite and nourish — a neutral, well-balanced meal.
