Home-Style Dishes
Silver Olive and Sweet-Sour Pickled Ginger Steamed Pork Ribs
a tangy, flavourful steamed dish traditionally associated with stimulating appetite and relieving summer heat
Why people make this dish
Summer heat has a way of dampening the appetite, and in Cantonese food culture, that is exactly when you reach for something tangy and aromatic to coax the stomach back to life. Silver olives (yin nian) are a seasonal fruit with a short harvest window — naturally tart and fragrant, they are used in Cantonese cooking much like a flavour enhancer, their acidity cutting through the richness of pork and sparking digestive juices.
Bro Niu had a batch of homemade sweet-sour pickled young ginger already waiting in the fridge, and the combination with fresh silver olives and black bean paste on pork ribs is something he describes as a straightforward weekday treat: prepare in half an hour, steam in twelve minutes, and the table is ready. The sweet-sour, salty, sesame-laced sauce makes plain rice disappear effortlessly.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for most healthy adults and older children as an everyday side dish
- Particularly welcome in summer when appetite is suppressed by heat and humidity
- Breastfeeding mothers may enjoy this dish occasionally; consuming fermented bean paste every single meal is traditionally thought to reduce milk supply, but occasional servings are fine
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Silver olive (yin nian / Canarium album): Its natural tartness and aromatic fragrance are traditionally associated with stimulating digestive secretions, whetting the appetite, and relieving summer discomfort
- Sweet-sour pickled young ginger: Ginger is warming and helps the stomach; the vinegar and sugar pickling adds a sour note that further stimulates appetite and aids digestion
- Black bean paste (dou chi jiang): Adds deep umami and salt; fermented black beans are traditionally associated with regulating digestion
- Sesame oil: Adds aroma and gentle warmth
Ingredients (2–3 servings)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pork ribs | 300 g (half jin) | Rinse and pat dry |
| Silver olives (yin nian) | 6 pieces | Remove pits; slice |
| Sweet-sour pickled young ginger | 5–6 slices | Homemade or store-bought |
| Black bean paste | 1 tablespoon | |
| Sesame oil | 1 tablespoon | |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon | Omit if using homemade silver olive paste which already contains sugar |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tablespoon |
Method
- Rinse the pork ribs; pat dry.
- Remove pits from silver olives and slice thinly; slice the pickled ginger.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients (black bean paste, sesame oil, sugar, light soy sauce) in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the ribs, sliced silver olive, and ginger to the marinade; toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a steaming plate and steam over boiling water for 12 minutes.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Bro Niu’s tips
If you are using homemade silver olive paste instead of fresh silver olives, omit the sugar — the paste already contains sweetener. When using fresh silver olives with no paste, the sugar balances the tartness beautifully. This dish works equally well with fish head instead of ribs. Silver olives have a very short season, so snap them up when you see them at the market.
Published June 28, 2013 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
