Farmer style spare ribs with sticky spicy Korean marinade
Da-yum! I do believe this addictive stuff is better than KFC. Same wonderful flavor profile of heat+sweet+spice but more of all. I was inspired by the new Koreatown cookbook which says it’s ok to use fish sauce, plus a recipe I pilfered from Apple of My Eye. Makes 1 ½ c sauce, enough for 4 pounds of ribs. Or try the Korean Marinade on chicken, fish, or just rice by itself.
Ingredients:
½ c dark soy sauce
¼ c gochujang
¼ c ketchup
2 T fish sauce (Red Boat recommended)
¼ c lemon juice
¼ c honey*
1 T ginger, grated
1 T garlic, chopped
4 lbs country style pork spareribs
½ c white or cider vinegar
2 t salt
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Method: Grate ginger, chop garlic (or grate on the same grater as the ginger, since you’re going to have to wash the grater anyway) and mix in a bowl with the other marinade ingredients *except possibly the honey. Boil water in a big pot, add vinegar and salt, add ribs and return to the boil. Boil 10 minutes then drain and, when cool, toss with the marinade. Marinate 4 hours or longer, mixing occasionally. The juices from the parboiled pork will mix with the marinade, diluting and flavoring it. Broil the ribs on a medium fire to give them a nice char (this tender cut is already cooked from the parboil) and meanwhile, transfer the marinade to a saucepan and heat to reduce somewhat. To serve, pour the sauce over the already sticky ribs, garnish with toasted sesame seeds, serve with rice and lots of napkins.
*I would consider reserving the honey until the final stage, when you are reducing the sauce before serving, to avoid sticking on the grill.
Are the ribs boiled as a whole rack or cut Into individual ribs.
The ribs in the picture are “country style” ribs which really are not ribs at all but a cut from the shoulder. They are sold as individual pieces as you see here. If I was working with actual spareribs I would leave the rack whole to avoid drying out. You might also want to cook off some of the fat (in the grill or smoker, or by parboiling) before you add the marinade.