Sweet and Spicy Deunggalbi Gangjeong (Glazed Crispy Baby Back Ribs)
A special dish of parboiled baby back ribs coated in potato starch, pan-fried until golden, and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.
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 →
Baby back ribs are soaked to draw out blood, parboiled with aromatics, coated in potato starch, and shallow-fried until golden before being simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Crispy on the outside yet tender inside, they make a fantastic centerpiece dish for entertaining guests or gatherings.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 5 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby back ribs500 g
- Potato starch1/3 cup
Boiling liquid
- Water5 cups
- Soju1/3 cup
- Whole black peppercorns1/2 tbsp
- Bay leaves3 leaves
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)1 tbsp
Pre-seasoning
- Salt1/3 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1/2 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1/2 tbsp
- Ketchup1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce (or regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang))1/2 tbsp
- Cheongju (Korean rice wine) (or mirin (cooking rice wine))1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Ginger juice1/2 tsp
- Water1/3 cup
- Soak in cold water for 2 hours to draw out the blood, changing the water once or twice.
- Cut between the bones of the baby back ribs to separate them into individual ribs.
- You can also add coffee, garlic, large green onion, or onion.
Steps
1. Cut between the bones of the baby back ribs to separate them into individual ribs.
2. Soak in cold water for 2 hours to draw out the blood, changing the water once or twice.
Removing the blood like this helps eliminate any pork odor.
3. Add 5 cups water, 1/3 cup soju, 1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, and 1 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste), and once it comes to a rolling boil...
Add the baby back ribs and boil for about 5 minutes.
You can also add coffee, garlic, large green onion, or onion.
4. Rinse under running water and drain off the excess moisture roughly.
5. Season with 1/3 tsp salt and a little ground black pepper, then let sit for about 30 minutes...
6. Combine the baby back ribs and potato starch, then shake to coat evenly.
7. Heat a generous amount of oil in a heated pan and pan-fry the ribs on both sides until golden brown, almost as if deep-frying.
You can also bake them in the oven until golden brown.
8. Drain the excess oil on paper towels.
They are delicious just like this, much like fried chicken.
10
9. Add the sauce ingredients: 1/2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1/2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), 1 tbsp ketchup, 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (or regular soy sauce), 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine),
1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), 1 tsp sugar, 1 Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili), 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1/3 cup water.
Finely mince the Cheongyang chili pepper before adding it.
Add everything and bring to a brief, bubbling simmer until glossy...
10. Add the baby back ribs and braise them while coating them evenly in the sauce.
Ppunwife's tips
- Removing the blood like this helps eliminate any pork odor.
- Even with one Cheongyang chili pepper, it is not overly spicy and has just the right amount of kick. For children, you can simply leave out the Cheongyang chili pepper and gochugaru.
- Finish with sliced almonds or crushed peanuts for a nice presentation.
FAQ
How can I make this for children who cannot eat spicy food?
Omit the Cheongyang chili pepper and gochugaru from the sauce ingredients, and children can enjoy it without any heat.
Can I use the oven instead of pan-frying in oil?
Yes, instead of shallow-frying in a generous amount of oil in a pan, you can bake them in the oven until golden brown.
Can I add other aromatic ingredients to the boiling water for the ribs?
Yes, in addition to the base ingredients, you can add coffee, garlic, large green onion, or onion to your liking.
What can I substitute if I don't have oyster sauce?
You can season the sauce with an equal amount of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang).
