Picking it up with Gochujang Baby Back Ribs

The last four weeks have been challenging. I've been struggling to manage symptoms of depression while juggling horrendous issues at work and home. Is the depression situational from life's problems or are they symptoms solely from the illness? After struggling for weeks, I felt utter hopelessness this past weekend. Dark thoughts crept into my mind. You know the thoughts that whisper to you to surrender and end what seems impossible to endure for one more day, hour, and minute. 

Baby back ribs served with cucumber salad and mac 'n cheese

The whispers are melancholy and comforting. There is no reason to live. There also isn't a reason to die. What I feel... How I feel... Whatever darkness is happening in my life... None are permanent. So, I won't make my dark thoughts my last moment. Reminding myself that it is okay to be not okay, here I am. Picking myself up to once again better manage the symptoms of depression. That means keeping focused on passion projects and tasks while balancing the mundaneness of life.

Cooking helps to quiet the whispers, so I made Abalone Bigoli for dinner last night. The recipe needs some tweaking, so I'm sharing a baby back ribs recipe with divine sauce developed during my obsession with gochujang, Korean pepper paste. So here it is, Gochujang Baby Back Ribs to perk up your appetite.

INGREDIENTS
three pounds of baby back ribs, membrane removed
for rub
a half teaspoon of crushed red pepper
a half teaspoon of garlic salt
a half teaspoon of fennel seed
a half teaspoon of oregano
a half teaspoon of chili powder
a half teaspoon of onion powder
a half teaspoon of creole
for sauce
two tablespoons of gochujang
three garlic cloves, roughly chopped
one tablespoon of soy sauce
four tablespoons of green plum extract
one tablespoon of raspberry pulp vinegar
five tablespoons of tomato paste
one tablespoon of honey
two tablespoons of maple syrup

In a bowl, mix all listed for the rub and rub on prepared baby back ribs. Cover and refrigerate for at least four and no more than 24 hours.


Preheat the oven to 300°f. Mix all ingredients listed for the sauce in a bowl, and evenly split into another bowl. Cover and refrigerate one of them and keep the other to brush on the baby back ribs. Place the baby back ribs in a roaster with a flat rack and into the oven. At 30 minutes, take the ribs out of the oven, generously brush on the sauce, and place it back in the oven. Reduce heat to 275°f. At 30 minutes, take the ribs out of the oven, lightly brush on the sauce, and place it back in the oven. At one hour, take the ribs out of the oven, generously brush on the sauce, and place it back in the oven. Repeat after 30 minutes and leave it in for another 30 to 60 minutes until the ribs are cooked and tender. 

Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving with a side of refrigerated sauce. Enjoy! 

p.s.: Please call or text 988, Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, if you are experiencing emotional crisis. 



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