K-Town Melt-in-Your-Mouth Baby Back Ribs
K-Town Melt-in-Your-Mouth Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
For the spicy pickles
- 1 pound Persian cucumbers sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 tbsp kosher salt rounded
- 2-4 cloves garlic thinly sliced or minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 6 scallions white and light green parts, chopped
- 5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 jalapeno chily thinly sliced, seeds removed for less heat
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
For the ribs:
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 1 cup water or beer
For the Korean BBQ sauce:
- ½ cup gochujang
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 8-10 cloves garlic minced
- ½ jalapeno chile minced
- ¼ cup peeled and minced ginger
- 5 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
For the toppings:
- 4 scallions white and light green parts, chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 jalapeno chile thinly sliced
Instructions
To make the spicy pickles:
- Place the cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and give them a quick toss to evenly coat them in the salt.
- Let site for 30 minutes. Rinse the salt off the cucumbers and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, garlic, ginger, scallions, vinegar, childe, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To make the ribs:
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, ginger, and chili powder.
- Place the ribs on a baking sheet and rub the spice mixture all over ribs, top and bottom. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or, even better, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and peel back a corner of the foil. Pour in the water or beer, close up the foil, and place the ribs in the oven. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meat nearly falls off the bone.
To make the Korean BBQ sauce:
- In a medium bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. (The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)
- Remove the ribs from the oven and fire up the grill to medium-high heat. Liberally brush the ribs with the BBQ sauce, place the ribs on the grill and grill for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, until charred. Remove from the grill and add more sauce if you like.
To top and serve:
- Slice the racks into individual ribs and toss in more BBQ sauce. Arrange on a platter and top with the chopped scallions, sesame seeds, jalapeno, and spicy pickles.
Notes
From What’s Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food (page 162-165).