Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce

This dish totally reminds me of home (except my mom would always put leftover plum sauce from take out into the marinade). I used to love eating these spareribs and then using the sauce to douse my rice. Heck, I can just have mostly rice and sauce with a couple of pieces of the spareribs. Childhood memories are pretty awesome, eh? Somehow mine just always revolve around food. I guess maybe I've always been addicted to food...


Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce
(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs pork spareribs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1-2 packets of plum sauce from Chinese takeout places (optional)
• 2 Tbsps black bean sauce
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced or grated
• 2 tsps cornstarch
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pinch black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix everything together until every piece of sparerib is covered in sauce/marinade. Transfer into a shallow, heatproof pan or plate with high sides (like a pie plate that you bake pies in or a cake pan). Let marinade at room temperature for half hour or cover and marinade overnight in the fridge.
2. Set a steamer rack on the bottom of a large pot or wok with enough water so that the dish is suspended above the water surface. 
3. Bring water to boil. Place dish on the steam rack and then top it with a flat plate. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium high heat.
4. Serve with rice and some steamed/stir fry veggies.