Cantonese-style Ribs in Black Bean Sauce is traditionally braised for up to two hours so that the ribs are tender, almost sliding off the bone. But here is my short cut, done in a slow cooker.
This is super easy. You can put the ingredients together in less than 5 minutes, turn the cook button and leave it unattended to braise on low for up to 8 hours, or cook on high for 4 hours.
This is my go-to when I have out-of-town visitors and want to spend time touring with them and then come home to have dinner ready. It’s also an easy dish to make when you have several other dishes to prepare for a dinner party.
Slow Cooker Ribs in Black Bean Sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours on high setting, 8 hours on low setting
2½-3 pound pork ribs
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice or Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 piece star anise (optional)
Place ribs in slow cooker. Add garlic, black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, wine, dark soy sauce and sugar and mix to coat ribs with the sauces. Add anise, cover, and cook on low heat for up to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Cook till divinely tender.
NOTES
–Do NOT be tempted to add any water. If you wash your pork, dry thoroughly before putting in slow cooker or there will be too much liquid in the sauce.
–Instead of Shaoxing wine, I now prefer to use Japanese sake. Traditionally, the Chinese use table Shaoxing wine, which costs less than $3 a bottle, but I discovered some have additives or sugar added.
Variations
Different seasoning
–Add 1 tablespoon of spicy bean paste (la douban jiang) to the slow cooker at start of cooking.
Banquet Presentation
Serve this with hard boiled eggs. Slice eggs in half and place attractively around cooked ribs.
Glossary of Ingredients
Click here for more on:
Black bean sauce
Hoisin sauce
Shaoxing wine
Dark soy sauce
Star anise
