Taro Steamed Spare Ribs (芋頭蒸排骨)

A healthy, hearty Cantonese classic!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
20 min
Total Time
60 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

Taro spare ribs meld the happy flavors of taro, spare ribs, and fermented black beans together in a warm, delicious combination.

The layered ingredients result in an aromatic steam wafting up and amazing sauces running down, each component absorbing flavor from its neighbor.

Taro all the time

As a tropical plant, taro has traditionally been a seasonal option.

Nowadays, you can often find it year-round. If not, they even have frozen taro available, so you can make this classic Cantonese dish whenever you want!

If you can't get your hands on one, or if you'd prefer to make this without taro, steamed spare ribs with the same black bean sauce was actually one of our first recipes. You can check that out here!

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb spare ribs
  • 1 lb taro
  • 0.50 oz dried fermented black bean
  • 1 piece rehydrated dried mandarin peel
  • 2 stalk green onion
  • 1 slice ginger
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 red chili pepper

Spare Rib Marinade

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 0.50 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Other

  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Taro here and taro there

The English term ‘taro’ is borrowed from the Māori language, adapted by English traders visiting plantations in New Zealand in the 1700s. Starchy and nutritious, taro is a staple ingredient in various regions around the world.

It's a recurring element in many staple Cantonese dishes, such as the taro cakes we made before.

Handling taro safely

You can wear food-safe gloves to protect your hands from the irritating calcium oxalate found in raw taro. My dad's never used gloves, though, so it's entirely up to you!

Calcium oxalate is what makes raw taro toxic and unsafe to consume, and rinsing the cut taro gets us a head start on washing some of it away. Cooking takes care of the rest, leaving us with safe and delicious taro.

Buying the best spare ribs

If your grocery store doesn't have pre-cut pork spare ribs, you can get St. Louis style ribs and ask the butcher to cut across the bones. It's very difficult to cut the bones at home.

The ribs closer to the tail of the pig tend to be less fatty, which is my dad's preference.

Rinsing and soaking meat

The steps of washing and soaking the spare ribs in water help drain out the red liquid, lightening the color of the final cooked dish and reducing the taste of blood. The red liquid itself, however, is actually not blood, but myoglobin, the iron-rich protein that stores extra oxygen in muscles that are used often. We talk more about myoglobin in this recipe.

It's not necessary to do either of these steps, but you definitely can, especially if you want to achieve that pale spare ribs you see in dim sum.

Just be aware that you may be rinsing away some nutrients, such as iron, and be careful to wipe down your kitchen area in case of any splashes that could spread bacteria.

Step 1: Rinse & soak black beans

Rinse the dried fermented black beans (0.50 oz) 3 times. Then, let it soak in the water to rehydrate for at least 5 minutes. We like to use warm water to help the water really soak in.

Step 2: Prepare the spare ribs

Peel the tough white membrane off the spare ribs (1 lb) by making a small cut at the end, between the membrane and the meat, and pulling it away from the meat. This will make the ribs less tough.

Cut the ribs into bite size pieces, and place them in a bowl. If you like, you can wash or soak them as well.

Step 3: Marinate the ribs

We'll start making the marinade by mixing together cornstarch (2 tbsp), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), dark soy sauce (0.50 tsp), baking soda (1 tsp), cooking wine (1 tbsp), water (2 tbsp), and white pepper (0.25 tsp) in a separate bowl. Baking soda is the secret for tender, juicy spare ribs!

Smash and mince ginger (1 slice) and garlic (2 clove). Also, mince the rehydrated dried mandarin peel (1 piece), which will make the dish even more fragrant. Add these to the marinade along with sesame oil (1 tsp), and then pour it over the spare ribs and mix it all up.

Set aside to marinate for half an hour to an hour.

Step 4: Prepare taro

We'll carefully cut around the taro with our knife to score the slice where we want to cut it, so we end up with taro (1 lb). Once there's a path for the knife to drive safely down, we'll chop deep into the taro and split the slice off.

Lay the slice down flat and use the knife to cut the skin off in segments. Wash the slice of taro with water, and then lay it flat again on the cutting surface.

Cut the taro into slices, and then cubes. We'll end up with 1-2 inch cubes.

Put the taro in the dish we'll use for steaming. Toss the taro with light soy sauce (1 tbsp) so it's evenly mixed. Make sure to arrange the taro so that it fully layers the bottom of the dish, ready to receive the delicious sauce and juices from the pork.

Step 5: Chop scallions & chili

We'll dice up green onion (2 stalk) and red chili pepper (1 ), and then put them aside.

Step 6: Steam ribs & taro

Take half of the rehydrated fermented black beans and crush them with the back of a spoon. Mix the crushed beans into the ribs.

Add vegetable oil (1 tbsp) into the ribs and mix. This will help keep the meat smooth and juicy.

Spread the ribs over the plate of taro. To ensure even and thorough coverage, lay the ribs along the edge of the plate first. Then pour the rest into the middle and spread them out.

Take the rest of the fermented black beans that are still whole, and spread them over the ribs. Add the chopped red chili pepper on top for both fragrance and a pop color.

Place a steam rack into a pan, and fill it with water until it just covers the steam rack. When the water comes to a boil, place the dish inside and steam for 20 minutes on high heat.

Step 7: Garnish & plate

The taro is cooked through when a chopstick can pierce through easily, just like a baked potato. Turn off the heat, and carefully remove the dish from the pan. The steam is hot!

Garnish by sprinkling the chopped green onion over top, and it's ready to serve!

FAQ

Do you need to wash spare ribs before cooking them?

  • For steamed spare ribs, you definitely want to rinse off any debris and bits of bone, because the spare ribs have been cut across the bone.
  • Soaking the ribs will also remove excess myoglobin, the red liquid that comes out of frozen and thawed meat. It tastes like blood and darkens when cooking. If you prefer a paler color to your steamed ribs (which, for some people, is ideal), go ahead and give those ribs a soak in water.

Can I steam spare ribs without taro?

  • The taro helps lift the spare ribs up from the juices it releases as it steams, absorbing some and thickening what it doesn't absorb, so there's a bit of a structural reason to steaming this combination of taro and spare ribs.
  • You can definitely steam spare ribs with the sauce without anything underneath, though. For that, you can follow this recipe.
  • If you don't have, or don't like taro, but you like the idea of something underneath to soak in the pork juices, try this recipe with pumpkin!
  • Daddy Lau doesn't really recommend using yams, as they're too sweet and doesn't complement the black bean sauce as well.

Can you steam frozen taro?

  • Yes, absolutely! If fresh taro isn't available and you can find frozen taro, you can definitely steam it with our recipe. The texture may be a bit different, but it'll still taste great. We recommend letting it thaw first, so it doesn't have to spend forever in the steamer.

Can I steam pork that isn't spare ribs?

  • Although our recipe calls for spare ribs, you can use any cut of pork. Pork butt, which comes from the shoulder, is another excellent option. Plus, it's boneless!

Can you use jarred or premade black bean sauce?

  • For convenience, those premade sauces are great options to speed up your Taro Steamed Spare Ribs. Mix it into the ribs, lay it over the taro, and steam.
  • We don't choose to use premade sauces because we have all the ingredients at home and can control the flavor to what we like. The premade stuff has more salt, sugar, and preservatives to help prevent spoilage. Plus, it gets pretty pricey!

How do you make black bean sauce?

  • Our recipe calls for cornstarch, salt, sugar, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, baking soda, cooking wine, water, white pepper, garlic, ginger, and dried mandarin peel.
  • It's a long list of ingredients, but these are all things that we use often, so if you get into cooking Cantonese cuisine, you'll inevitably end up with most or all of these things in your pantry anyway!
  • Check the ingredient list above to see precise amounts. Remember to use our tool to scale the recipe up and down!

How can you tell if taro is cooked through?

  • Just like potatoes, if you can poke a chopstick or a fork easily into a piece, and it feels tender, then it's cooked.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/taro-steamed-spare-ribs
Taro Steamed Spare Ribs (芋頭蒸排骨)
A healthy, hearty Cantonese classic!
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 60 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb spare ribs
  • 1 lb taro
  • 0.50 oz dried fermented black bean
  • 1 piece rehydrated dried mandarin peel
  • 2 stalk green onion
  • 1 slice ginger
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 red chili pepper

Spare Rib Marinade

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 0.50 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Other

  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Step 1 - Rinse & soak black beans

↑ Jump to details

Rinse the dried fermented black beans (0.50 oz) in warm water 3 times. Then, let it soak in the water to rehydrate for at least 5 minutes.

Step 2 - Prepare the spare ribs

↑ Jump to details

Peel the membrane off the spare ribs (1 lb) by making a small cut at the end, and pulling it away from the meat.

Cut the ribs into bite size pieces, and place them in a bowl. Optionally, wash or soak the ribs.

Step 3 - Marinate the ribs

↑ Jump to details

Make the marinade by mixing together cornstarch (2 tbsp), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), dark soy sauce (0.50 tsp), baking soda (1 tsp), cooking wine (1 tbsp), water (2 tbsp), and white pepper (0.25 tsp).

Mince ginger (1 slice), garlic (2 clove), and the rehydrated dried mandarin peel (1 piece). Add these to the marinade along with sesame oil (1 tsp), and then mix it all up with the spare ribs.

Set aside to marinate for half an hour to an hour.

Step 4 - Prepare taro

↑ Jump to details

Carefully cut around the taro to score the slice where you want to cut it, so you end up with taro (1 lb). Then, chop deep into the taro and split the slice off.

Lay the slice down flat and cut the skin off. Wash the taro with water, and then chop the taro into 1-2 inch cubes.

Toss the taro with light soy sauce (1 tbsp) so it's evenly mixed. Arrange the taro into a full layer on the bottom of the steaming dish.

Step 5 - Chop scallions & chili

↑ Jump to details

Dice green onion (2 stalk) and red chili pepper (1 ) and set aside.

Step 6 - Steam ribs & taro

↑ Jump to details

Crush half of the rehydrated fermented black beans with the back of a spoon. Mix them into the ribs.

Add vegetable oil (1 tbsp) into the ribs and mix.

Spread the ribs over the plate of taro.

Take the rest of the fermented black beans that are still whole, and spread them over the ribs. Add the chopped red chili pepper on top.

Steam for 20 minutes on high heat.

Step 7 - Garnish & plate

↑ Jump to details

When the taro is cooked through, turn off the heat, and remove the dish from the pan.

Garnish by sprinkling the chopped green onion over top, and enjoy!

Step 8 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 9 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.