Dwaeji galbi (pork ribs) is another Korean favorite BBQ dish. I like to use baby back ribs (deunggalbi) for grilling because they are tender and take less time to cook than spare ribs. Here, I have two different Korean marinades. The first one is sweet and savory, similar to the beef galbi marinade. The other one is the traditional spicy pork marinade similar to that used in dwaeji bulgogi. The secret to tasty Korean pork ribs is to use lots of fresh garlic and ginger. Roast the ribs in the oven, covered, at a low temperature and then finish off under the broiler or on the grill until they are slightly charred and caramelized. The result will be tender, moist, and delicious ribs!

Ingredients:

● Each marinade is for 2 whole slabs (2.5 kilograms) of baby back ribs.

Sweet and Savory Marinade:

● 1/2 cup soy sauce

● 2/3 cup water

● 1/4 cup rice wine (or mirim)

● 2 tablespoons sesame oil

● 4 tablespoons honey

● 3 tablespoons brown sugar (preferably dark brown)

● 3 tablespoons minced garlic

● 2 tablespoons grated ginger

● 1/2 medium onion, grated

● 1/2 medium sweet apple, grated

● 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Spicy Marinade:

● 2/3 cup gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) ― adjust to taste

● 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) ― adjust to taste

● 1/4 cup soy sauce

● 1/4 cup rice wine (or mirim)

● 2 tablespoons sesame oil

● 4 tablespoons honey

● 2 tablespoons brown sugar (preferably dark brown)

● 3 tablespoons minced garlic

● 2 tablespoons grated ginger

● 1/2 medium onion, grated

● 1/2 medium sweet apple (Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious), grated

● 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cut each slab of ribs into two pieces for easier handling. Rinse the ribs and drain.

Prepare the ingredients for the marinade you have chosen to make. Mix all of them well.

Coat the ribs well with the marinade, and marinate them for at least six hours (preferably overnight). Turn them over once after half of the marinating time has passed.

Preheat the oven to 165°C. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the ribs, meat side down in the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 1.5 hours. (You can bake them 30 additional minutes if you want fall off the bones tenderness). Remove the foil cover.

At this point, you can finish off the ribs by one of the following two steps:

1. Change the oven setting to broil and preheat for a few minutes. Then broil the ribs for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until the ribs are slightly charred, and the sauce is caramelized. Baste the ribs with the sauce while broiling.

2. Preheat the grill and grill the ribs over medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until the ribs are slightly charred and the sauce is caramelized. Baste the ribs with the sauce while grilling.

By Ro Hyo-sun

For more recipes visit www.koreanbapsang.com.