Farmer style spare ribs with sticky spicy Korean style 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 it 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.
