STEAMED PORK RIBS WITH BLACK BEAN (CHI ZHI ZHENG PAI GU)

Chi zhi zheng pai gu is a *yum cha* (dim sum) classic from the Cantonese tradition, served in bamboo steamer baskets from mid-morning until the kitchen closes at lunch. Fermented black beans (*douchi*) are among China's oldest seasonings, appearing in Han dynasty texts — intensely savoury, funky, softened beans that permeate any protein they contact with umami depth.

Steamed pork ribs with fermented black bean is among the most iconic of Cantonese dim sum preparations — a technique that uses steam and the fermented black bean to transform small pieces of pork rib from raw protein into something yielding, intensely savoury, and deeply aromatic. The preparation requires no browning, no sauce reduction, no monitoring — only proper marination and correct steam time. It is an exercise in restraint and in trusting the process.

• - Cantonese steamed fish (FD-36) uses the same principle of steam + minimal marinade + last-minute aromatics
• the black bean preparation is simply a more robustly flavoured iteration of the same technique - Japanese *butaniku no miso-zuke* (miso-marinated pork, then steamed or grilled) uses fermented soybean

In the dim sum context, steamed pork ribs with black bean sit alongside har gow (shrimp dumplings), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), and char siu bao as core ordering items. The rich, fermented character of the black bean needs the cleanness of jasmine tea (the standard dim sum pairing) to reset the palate between dishes. As a home dinner preparation, it serves as a protein dish with rice and a clean vegetable stir-fry alongside.