Steamed Garlic Pork Ribs

Let's see . . . I've done pork ribs with orange, coffee, red yeast wine dregs, fermented black beans, teriyaki sauce, and pickled plums. That's quite a lot already but here's one more: Steamed Garlic Pork Ribs. Yup, tonnes and tonnes of garlic; heaps of garlic; garlic galore!

Compared to the other recipes, steamed garlic pork ribs is really simple, using garlic as its flavouring agent.

Hmm, a bit too simple, perhaps?

Nope, don't worry. As Leonardo da Vinci said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Don't underestimate the plant that sprouted from Satan's left foot as he was evicted by his landlord.


If you love garlic, Steamed Garlic Pork Ribs would be right up your alley. The ribs are marinated with raw and fried garlic and then steamed. The moist heat mellows the two types of garlic and, when the meat is almost falling off the bones and the cooking is done, more fried garlic is added. This time, it stays crisp and fully aromatic, making it taste quite different from the fried garlic that's been steamed. To round off the dish, a few drops of the oil from frying the garlic is drizzled on the ribs, reinforcing the aroma of the crispy garlic.

The layering effect creates a complexity that belies the use of only one flavouring agent. Isn't that simple yet sophisticated, incorporating one ingredient in four different ways?

The ingredients for steaming ribs with garlic are really simple. It requires no skill at all, and takes no more than a few minutes to put together. So go on and give it a try. You'll see the beauty of garlic, and why it's been a cooking ingredient for over 6,000 years . . . . Unless you're a vampire? Hey, I should send Buffy the recipe!

STEAMED GARLIC PORK RIBS (蒜香蒸排骨) Source: Adapted from All About Pork Ribs (Recipe for 4 persons) 400 g pork ribs, rinsed, dried, and chopped into small pieces 2½ cm (1 inch) long 2 packed tbsp fried minced garlic 2 packed tbsp raw garlic ⅛ tsp chicken powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp sugar ½ tbsp potato flour Garnish ½ packed tbsp fried minced garlic ½ tbsp roughly chopped coriander ½ red chilli, slice thinly crosswise ½ tsp oil from frying garlic In a deep plate, thoroughly mix everything except potato flour and garnish ingredients. Marinate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with potato flour and mix till evenly coated. Steam ribs over rapidly boiling water till tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Sprinkle with garnish ingredients. Serve.