Korean Pork Ribs
These ribs are built on patience. Rubbed in Chinese five spice, brushed with a gochujang and sriracha glaze, then wrapped tight and baked low and slow until they’re properly tender.
Removing the membrane off the back of the ribs first makes a real difference. It’s a tough layer that seasoning can’t get through, and skipping it is one of the most common reasons homemade ribs turn out chewy underneath.
A final blast at high heat with the reserved sauce gets you that sticky, slightly charred finish. Watch it closely though, it goes from perfect to burnt fast.
Korean Pork Ribs
PORK · DINNER · MEDIUM
Fall-apart tender, with a proper sticky glaze
Removing the membrane before seasoning lets the rub and glaze actually get into the meat, instead of sitting on top of a tough layer that never breaks down.
Wrapping the ribs tightly with no gaps traps steam and braises them low and slow, which is what gets you that fall-off-the-bone tenderness without any special equipment.
The final high-heat blast with the reserved gochujang glaze is what gives these that sticky, slightly charred finish. Most of the work is done well before that final stretch.
Korean Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg Pork Baby Back Ribs
- 150 g Gochujang Korean Spice Paste
- 150 g Tomato Sauce Ketchup
- 50 g Sriracha Sauce
- 12 g Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Flip the pork ribs bone-side up and remove the membrane: use a knife to loosen a corner of the thin white membrane, then grip it with a paper towel and peel it off in one piece. This helps the seasoning penetrate and stops the ribs from turning tough and chewy on the underside.
- In a bowl, combine the gochujang, tomato sauce (ketchup) and sriracha sauce. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the Chinese 5 spice powder, onion powder, garlic powder and sea salt flakes. Mix well.
- Season the pork ribs on both sides with the Chinese 5 spice mix, rubbing it in with your hands. Use a pastry brush to rub the gochujang mix over both sides of the ribs. Reserve ⅓ of the sauce for later in the recipe.
- Place the rubbed ribs onto a sheet of baking paper and wrap tightly. Transfer the wrapped ribs onto a sheet of aluminium foil and wrap again (make sure there are no holes and the ribs aren't visible). Place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the heat to 200°C (390°F).
- Carefully unwrap the ribs (you can let them cool for 15-20 minutes first if you prefer). Place them onto a baking tray lined with clean parchment paper (you can reuse the same tray to save dishes). Brush over the remaining marinade and return to the oven for 7 minutes or until starting to char. Remove and serve.
