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1
Place the rib sections in a pot of cold water, starting cold rather than dropping them into boiling water so that the impurities leach out gradually into the water rather than seizing on the surface of the meat. Bring to the boil and blanch briefly, then drain and rinse. The water will be grey and foamy — that is the signal the blanch is complete.
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2
Rinse the douchi briefly under cold water to soften the sharpest edge of the salt without washing away the fermented depth that is the backbone of the dish. Chop roughly into pieces of approximately 3–4 mm, keeping them discrete and visible rather than worked into a paste, so each piece holds its texture and delivers a distinct burst of savour against the pork. Combine with the minced garlic, sliced chilli, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, sesame oil, and sugar, then add the drained ribs and turn thoroughly so every surface is coated; marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes — 2 hours if time allows — so the marinade penetrates beyond the surface and the ribs take on a lightly glazed appearance with black bean pieces evenly distributed across them.
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3
Transfer the marinated ribs and all their marinade to a shallow bowl or plate that fits within the steamer without obstructing the circulation of steam, because any pooling of steam against the rim will create uneven heat and leave parts of the meat underdone. Set over vigorously boiling water and steam for 20–25 minutes — at 20 minutes the meat is tender but retains a firm bite, and at 25 minutes it begins to yield naturally from the bone. Assess by pressing a piece at its thickest point; fully cooked rib meat offers no resistance there, and the surface colour will have shifted from pink to an even, opaque grey-white.