Steamed Pork Ribs with Pumpkin (南瓜蒸排骨）

-



Some dishes don’t need fancy ingredients to feel special. This steamed pork ribs with pumpkin is one of them.

It’s the kind of dish that quietly sits on the table, but always gets finished—soft, tender pork ribs, and sweet pumpkin soaking up all the savory juices.

But if you’ve made this before, you might know the struggle. By the time the ribs are tender, the pumpkin has already turned too soft… almost mashy. So over time, I started doing it a little differently.

Instead of steaming everything together from the start, I steam the pork ribs halfway first, then transfer them onto a fresh plate lined with pumpkin chunks. This way, the pumpkin absorbs all the delicious juices while keeping its shape and texture.

The result is tender, juicy pork ribs sitting on perfectly cooked pumpkin that is soft yet still holds its shape. Each bite carries the natural sweetness of the pumpkin along with the rich, savory sauce from the ribs.It’s a simple dish, but with a small technique tweak, it makes a big difference.

Full written steps, tips and exact measurements are below. Keep scrolling!!




INGREDIENTS

600g pork ribs

200g pumpkin

1 tbsp soy bean paste

1 tbsp Hoisin paste

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

 1 tbsp cooking oil

METHOD
1.Mix the pork ribs with soy bean paste, Hoisin paste, soy sauce, wine, sugar, cornstarch, and a little oil. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (or longer for better flavor).

2. Plsce the marineated ribs on a plate and steam over medium heat for about 40 minutes. This setp allows the ribs to release their juices and start becoming tender.

3. While the ribs are steaming, cut the pumpkin into big chunks on another plate. Remove the half-steamed ribs and place them on top of the pumpkin.

4. Continue steaming for another 10-15 minutes, or until the ribs are fully tendern and the pumpkin is just cooked through.

 

Tips for Success

A) Don’t cut the pumpkin too small. Bigger chunks hold their shape better after steaming.

B) Steam the pork ribs until half cooked or tanderlize then transfer onto pumpkin

C)  Pour the steaming juices back. That’s where all the flavor is—don’t waste it!

D) Adjust steaming time based on ribs size. Smaller pieces cook faster, so reduce the second steaming time slightly.

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Classic Egg Tarts

-
Image
  Few things are more comforting than a freshly baked egg tart. With its buttery crust and silky-smooth custard filling, this classic treat has been a favorite in many bakeries and dim sum restaurants for generations. Growing up, egg tarts were always one of those irresistible pastries displayed behind the glass counter of traditional bakeries. The golden custard gently jiggles when you pick it up, and the flaky crust shatters slightly with the first bite. It’s simple, yet incredibly satisfying. Making egg tarts at home may sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite manageable. Once you get the custard mixture right and bake it at the correct temperature, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful tarts that taste just like the ones from the bakery. When it fresh out of the oven, these egg tarts have a delicate custard filling and a crisp crust that pair perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. Homemade egg tarts may look simple, but they carry the comforting taste of traditional baker...
Read more

Baked Cassava or Tapioca Cake （烤木薯糕）

-
Image
Cassava or tapioca cake can be prepared in several methods, including baking, steaming and wrapping in banana leaves. It can be made with or without eggs and with or without butter. Today, I am going to share how to bake cassava or tapioca cake. Tapioca cake is very easy to make, whether to steam or to bake. The only tedious part is grating. I used to grate them into fine silk manually. But now I blend them with Thermomix to paste form. If you are using a regular blender, add a little water to the blender to blend it together. This cassava cake has a beautiful burnt skin on top and dense golden color inside. My daughter thought it was burnt cheesecake. The texture is soft but firm and not too sticky compared to the steam type. Every bite taste of cassava, coconut milk and the burnt aroma. Not overly sweet and greasy. If using a blender, cut the tapioca into smaller chunks, then carefully cut out the tough, fibrous core from the middle of each piece using a knife.   Once the t...
Read more

Dong Po Rou （东坡肉）

-
Image
Dong Po Rou （东坡肉） – wine braised pork belly. It’s rich and savoury, tender that melts into your mouth. Traditionally, the pork belly is pan-fried before being braised or stewed for one to one and a half hours on low heat. Some of the recipes even call for steaming for an additional half an hour after stewing. It is very time-consuming. But as you are aware, I enjoy making recipes simpler without compromising the taste. You, too, I'm sure. Therefore, I skipped the pan-frying step and proceeded directly to braising the pork after blanching it, and then continued to cook with a pressure cooker. Don't worry; the dish's flavour remains unaffected. I'm hoping this simplified method may come in handy for your regular cooking. Trim off the edges of the pork and cut it into 3x3 cubes. Tie cooking twine around each cube. This will assist the cubes in keeping their form while cooking. If the pork that you bought is at the mid portion of the belly is ideal, there is a nice bala...
Read more