Serves: 4
Total Calories: 999

2 1/2 pounds pork spare ribs
2 tablespoons Chinese salted (sometimes called fermented) black beans
2 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger (use the large holes of a box grater)
1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes
3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Asian dark sesame oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for deep-frying
chopped scallion, white and green parts, for garnish (optional)

1. Have the butcher prepare the spareribs as follows: Remove the chine (back) bone from the rack of ribs and cleave it into bite-sized pieces. Saw the rack horizontally into l-inch-long strips. Cut between the bones to make bite-sized pieces.

2. In a small bowl, soak the black beans in warm water to cover for 5 minutes. Drain. Return to the bowl and mix with the scallions, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper flakes. In another small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

3. Pour enough oil into a large, flat-bottomed wok or deep Dutch oven to come one third to halfway up the sides. Heat over high heat until the oil is very hot, but not smoking (the surface of the oil will shimmer slightly), 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Working with about one half of the ribs at a time, coat the ribs with the cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Deep-fry until the coating is set, about 45 seconds. Using a wire-mesh strainer, transfer the ribs to a platter. Repeat with the remaining ribs.

4. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil from the pan. (If too much cornstarch has fallen to the bottom of the oil in the pan, discard the cloudy oil, wipe out the pan with paper towels, and use a new 3 tablespoons oil.) Return to high heat. Add the black bean mixture and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir the soy sauce mixture well, and pour into the pan. Add the ribs and stir well to coat with the sauce. Remove from heat. Place the ribs in single layers on round heatproof plates that will fit the steamer tiers with at least 1 inch of empty space around the sides. (You might need 2 or 3 plates, depending on the size of your steamer and the number of tiers.) Pour equal amounts of the sauce over the plates.

5. Fill the bottom of the steamer halfway with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a steady boil and a good head of steam. Stack the tiers over the pot and cover with the steamer lid. Steam the ribs, adding more boiling water to the saucepan as needed, until the ribs are tender, about 1 hour.

6. Carefully transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving platter. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the chopped scallion. (The spareribs can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat by steaming again over boiling water until heated through, about 10 minutes.)

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 999
Calories from Fat: 721

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