RCP: Steamed Chicken in Black Bean sauce

I never would have thought to steam chicken. Also, I know that Jenise and Burt have traded black bean rib recipes ages ago. Nonetheless, somebody mentioned the blog Steamy Kitchen the other day. It's a very cute site mostly devoted to asian cooking. The banter is light but the pictures and recipes are very good. I was cruising through her recipes and came across this: Chinese steamed spareribs with black bean sauce.

I substituted 2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs that I cut into 3 pieces each. I increased the black bean sauce, sherry and other ingredients by about 1 1/2. I didn't bother with the cornstarch. Also, I steamed the chicken in a big pot with the chicken pieces resting in a vegetable steamer rather than using my bamboo steamer.

Steamed Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce

1-1/2 lbs pork sparerib (rib tips)
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (on microplane grater)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Cut the spareribs crosswise into 1" - 2" sections. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Transfer spareribs and sauce into a shallow, heatproof dish that will fit inside your steamer (a pie plate works great.) Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Set spareribs in steamer. Steam on med-high heat for 18-20 minutes until ribs are no longer pink. Make sure that when you are steaming that you don't run out of water in the steamer. Replenish with additional water, if needed.

This was really good! Chicken was wonderfully seasoned and incredibly tender. The fat had all drained out into the steaming liquid so this turned out to be a very healthy preparation. Very easy too. I served this with broccoli prepared according to her recipe: Gai lan with oyster sauce (yes I know that Gai Lan is not the same as broccoli. Don't care.) Very nice dinner served over brown rice. The chicken (rib tips) definitely goes into the rotation due to the combination of ease and intense flavor.

[Robin Garr]

Chinese steamed spareribs with black bean sauce

VERY interesting, Howard. Thanks! This one definitely goes on the list. Oddly, I would think of chicken (or fish) as a better candidate for steaming than pork ribs, although it would be tempting to try it both ways and see how the results compare.

Howard,

That looks like a yummy recipe. There are various black bean sauce concoctions out there. Which brand did you use? The original from-scratch method is to mash or mince whole fermented black beans, perhaps in a little rice wine.

-Paul W.

Howard,

There are various black bean sauce concoctions out there. Which brand did you use?
-Paul W.

I'll have to check when I get home. The only thing I remember is "black bean garlic sauce" but I don't know the brand.

I once tried to make something with an authentic black bean preparation that I got at an Asian food market but I clearly didn't do it right. The stuff was astonishingly salty and I ruined whatever it was I was making.

Robin,
I think a black bean fish dish would be awesome. The texture if done right would be other-worldly.

[Jenise]

I once tried to make something with an authentic black bean preparation that I got at an Asian food market but I clearly didn't do it right. The stuff was astonishingly salty and I ruined whatever it was I was making.

Not all black beans are created equal (some taste muddy), and then your recipe may not have advised you to rinse the beans first. It doesn't have to be done, but it's an option: my Chinese friend Annabelle's mother and grandmother, both raised in mainland China, argue about this--one rinses, the other doesn't--so I know there's no "right way" except to use them sparingly.

Another black bean factoid: never serve pinot noir with black bean dishes. Your wine will taste like someone put dirt in the glass.

Oh you have to rinse black beans. Not rinsing is like putting beans in your chili.

I'm only semi-serious, but I always rinse them, or it's too salty for my liking. But I noticed a lot of chefs don't - for example, Ming Tsai doesn't when he's making some of his black bean garlic sauce.

Nice recipe, Howard, thanks !