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Steamed Garlic Ribs with Taro

by:

Bill

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Updated: 11/3/2023

This recipe for steamed garlic ribs with taro combines three of my favorite ingredients: juicy pork ribs, sweet garlic, and buttery taro.

If you’ve never tried taro, now is the time! Some people (Sarah) say that the taro is the star of the dish, which I can definitely understand.

It is similar to a potato, but with a creamier texture and more buttery flavor. You can’t go wrong with perfectly cooked taro, but when steamed in a heavenly sauce of pork juices and garlic, it reaches a new level!

About Chinese Steamed Ribs

If you’ve heard of Chinese steamed ribs, your first thought would probably be the popular steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans that you find at dim sum.

You may also think of the steamed beef short ribs with black pepper, which is a lesser known but also delicious choice from the dim sum cart.

dim-sum-spare-ribs-feature — *Dim sum pork spare ribs on the left, and black pepper short ribs on the right.*

Dim Sum Beef Short Ribs with Black Pepper, by thewoksoflife.com — *Dim sum pork spare ribs on the left, and black pepper short ribs on the right.*

But not all steamed rib dishes are related to dim sum. You can find a plate of steamed ribs like this one on Cantonese dinner tables, serving as a hearty addition to a meal.

Steaming proteins with garlic is a favorite Cantonese technique. You’ll see the same idea in our steamed scallops with garlic recipe. Steaming with lots of garlic creates a burst of garlic flavor that is also mellow and sweet. Try one of these recipes for the first time, and I’m sure you’ll be hooked!

How to Serve This Recipe (and a Chinese Meal in General)

Some of you have emailed or commented with the question of how to craft a Chinese menu, or how to serve a Chinese meal. It’s understandably a little confusing, as Chinese meals often don’t fit the mold of a Western-style dinner plate, with a protein, starch, and vegetable on the side.

Regardless of whether it is served at home or out in a restaurant, Chinese meals are almost always served family style. (The exception might be, say, a bowl of noodle soup, which is meant for an individual.)

You cook or order a bunch of dishes, all with a variety of tastes and textures. It’s always better to have more people and lots of dishes to share.

If serving a larger crowd, this dish of steamed garlic ribs could be one of many dishes on the table. The meal might include a soup, a couple vegetable dishes, a fish or shellfish dish, a tofu, etc. If you’re just cooking for your family or a smaller group, you can follow the Western formula of protein, starch, and vegetable.

All you need is these ribs, a side of steamed rice, and a stir-fried vegetable on the side. Make a stir-fried bok choy, stir-fried pea tips, a simple garlicky broccoli, or blanched yu choy sum. You could even steam some broccoli, forego any sauce, and just spoon the sauce from the ribs on top.

Enjoy this recipe, folks—I know we did!

Recipe Instructions

Place the rib pieces, clear rice wine, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper into a bowl. Mix to evenly coat the ribs. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight for best results.

We highly recommend marinating overnight (marinating for less time will yield less tender ribs). However, if you have less time, marinate for at least 1 hour—or at least 2 hours for meatier ribs.

Add the cornstarch and water to the marinated ribs. Mix well until there is no standing liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Heat a saucepan over low heat. Add the oil and garlic. Stir occasionally until the garlic turns slightly translucent. It should be fragrant but not browned—about 4-5 minutes. (Garlic turns bitter if overly browned or burned in hot oil.)

Place the taro cubes in a single layer on a large heatproof shallow bowl.

Place the marinated ribs on top of the taro. Then spoon the garlic and oil evenly over the top of the ribs.

Next, bring some water to a simmer in a metal steamer or in a wok with a metal steaming rack set in the bottom. (Learn more about how to set up a steamer.) Place the heatproof bowl with your ribs into your steaming apparatus. Cover and steam for 20-25 minutes, or until the ribs are opaque and the taro is cooked through.

Garnish with chopped scallion if desired, and serve your steamed garlic ribs over rice with your favorite stir-fried vegetable on the side!

About

Bill

Bill Leung is the patriarch of The Woks of Life family, working on the blog alongside wife Judy and daughters Sarah and Kaitlin. Born in upstate New York, Bill comes from a long line of professional chefs. From his mother’s Cantonese kitchen to bussing tables, working as a line cook, and helping to run his parents’ restaurant, he offers lessons and techniques from over 50 years of cooking experience. Specializing in Cantonese recipes, American Chinese takeout (straight from the family restaurant days), and even non-Chinese recipes (from working in Borscht Belt resort kitchens), he continues to build what Bon Appétit has called “the Bible of Chinese Home Cooking.” Along with the rest of the family, Bill is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and James Beard and IACP Award nominee, and has been developing recipes for over a decade.