Fiery Dwaeji Galbijjim (Braised Pork Ribs)
Spicy braised pork ribs simmered until tender in a fiery seasoning made with ground Cheongyang chili peppers and gochugaru.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This recipe makes 3 to 4 servings of spicy pork ribs with an invigorating kick from ground Cheongyang chili peppers and gochugaru. The meat is briefly blanched with aromatics to remove any gamey odors, marinated in a fruit juice sauce, and gently simmered in kelp broth until tender.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Very spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork ribs1 kg
- Kelp broth1 cup
For boiling the meat
- Water5 cups
- Bay leaves3-4 leaves
- Ground black pepper20 peppercorns
- Garlic7 cloves
- Soju1/2 cup
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)3 tbsp
- Oyster sauce2 tbsp
- Minced garlic3 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)3 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)3 tbsp
- Ginger powder0.5 tsp
- Korean pear1 (grated)
- Onion1/2 (grated)
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2 (ground)
- Red chili pepper1 (ground)
- Instead of pear juice, you can also use apple or kiwi juice, or the syrup from canned fruit.
- Soak in water, changing the water regularly, until no more blood comes out (about 2 hours).
- Put the meat and all the prepared marinade into a bowl and let it marinate overnight. Alternatively, you can marinate it in the morning and cook it for dinner.
Steps
1. Trim all excess fat from the pork ribs.
Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Score thick pieces of meat or pierce them all over with a fork or the tip of a knife so the marinade absorbs well.
2. Soak in water, changing the water regularly, until no more blood comes out (about 2 hours).
3. Add 5 cups water, 3-4 bay leaves, 20 whole black peppercorns, 7 cloves garlic, and 1/2 cup soju, then bring to a rolling boil.
(Adding doenjang or instant coffee to the boil also helps eliminate a lot of the gamey smell from the meat.)
4. Add the meat and blanch it. Once it starts boiling, cook for 2-3 minutes.
This is done just to remove excess fat and odors from the meat, so do not boil it for too long.
5. Rinse once in clean water and drain.
6. For the marinade, blend the pear and onion in a blender, then squeeze through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to extract only the clear juice.
7. Add all the marinade ingredients and mix well.
8. Place the meat and all the prepared marinade into a bowl and let it marinate overnight.
Alternatively, you can marinate it in the morning and cook it for dinner.
10
9. Pour in 1 cup kelp broth, enough to submerge the meat.
The kelp broth was made by soaking a 5 cm square piece of dried kelp in 2 cups cold water for over 30 minutes, then briefly bringing it to a simmer to extract the flavor.
10. Cover with a lid, and once it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the meat is cooked through. When the liquid has reduced by about half, remove the lid, raise the heat to high, and stir occasionally while braising until the sauce thickens and reduces.
Spicy dwaeji galbijjim is complete.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding doenjang or instant coffee when boiling also helps eliminate a lot of the gamey odor from the meat.
- You can also make this hearty by adding extra ingredients like vegetables, rice cakes, and sweet potato glass noodles. However, you should add 1 cup more kelp broth at the very beginning so the ingredients are submerged.
FAQ
What can I use as a substitute if I do not have pear juice?
You can juice an apple or kiwi, or use the syrup from canned fruit instead.
Is there another way to reduce gamey odors when blanching the meat?
In addition to the aromatics, dissolving a little doenjang or instant coffee into the boiling water helps reduce gamey odors.
What should I keep in mind when adding add-ins like noodles or rice cakes?
If you add extra ingredients such as vegetables, rice cakes, or sweet potato glass noodles, the broth may run short, so it is best to pour in 1 cup more kelp broth when you first boil it.
How long should I marinate the meat?
It is best to marinate it thoroughly overnight, but if you are short on time, you can marinate it in the morning and cook it for dinner.
