Lately, my kitchen has been leaning decisively Korean. Not performatively, not nostalgically, just instinctively. I reach for gochujang the way others reach for butter. I crave the slow bloom of heat, the kind that lingers rather than shouts. As a Korean American, there is a particular comfort in that flavor profile: spice layered with sweetness, restraint threaded through fire.
Korean food is often reduced to “spicy,” which is both true and incomplete. We are not shy about heat, especially where gochujang is concerned, but depth matters more than burn. I’ve shared versions of that depth before: Tteokbokki, Gochujang Baby Back Ribs, Spicy Pork, Sweet & Spicy Chicken Drumsticks. This dish belongs in that lineage.
It began, as many good recipes do, with a mistake. I reached for what I thought were standard spare ribs at a Korean grocery store and came home with the sliced variety labeled “for stew.” Smaller, humbler cuts, somewhere between spare ribs and rib tips, designed not for presentation but for absorption. They surrender quickly to heat. They drink in sauce. If you don’t have access to a Korean market, rib tips will do. The point is not perfection of cut, but intimacy of flavor.
And if we are being particular, which occasionally we should be, this dish belongs in a ddukbaegi.
While I am not usually strict about cookware, a ddukbaegi (Korean clay pot) is ideal here. It retains heat aggressively and concentrates flavor. Without it, the dish will still be delicious, but cooking time and sauce reduction may vary.
And if we are being particular, which occasionally we should be, this dish belongs in a ddukbaegi.
While I am not usually strict about cookware, a ddukbaegi (Korean clay pot) is ideal here. It retains heat aggressively and concentrates flavor. Without it, the dish will still be delicious, but cooking time and sauce reduction may vary.
INGREDIENTS
[serves 2 as a main dish]
twelve ounces of sliced pork spare ribs or spare rib tips, cut for stew
one Yukon potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
two tablespoons of Coca-Cola
one tablespoon of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
one tablespoon of maesil cheong (green plum extract)
one tablespoon of minced garlic
one tablespoon of gochujang
one tablespoon of water
a half tablespoon of brown sugar
a half tablespoon of sesame oil
a quarter teaspoon of gochugaru
one bunch of green onions, chopped
In a bowl, mix the gochujang, brown sugar, sesame oil, and chopped green onions. Set aside.
Place the ddukbaegi over medium heat and allow it to warm gradually. Clay pots should not be shocked with high heat when cold.
Add the pork ribs in a single layer. Pour in the tamari and maesil cheong, then add the minced garlic. Because liquid is added immediately, the pork will not fully sear; instead, it will begin to cook and caramelize as the sugars reduce. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and monitor the heat closely, as the ddukbaegi retains and intensifies heat.
Once the pork begins to brown and the liquid slightly reduces, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid carefully using oven mitts. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Cook uncovered for about 1 minute, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to prevent scorching.
Place the ddukbaegi over medium heat and allow it to warm gradually. Clay pots should not be shocked with high heat when cold.
Add the pork ribs in a single layer. Pour in the tamari and maesil cheong, then add the minced garlic. Because liquid is added immediately, the pork will not fully sear; instead, it will begin to cook and caramelize as the sugars reduce. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and monitor the heat closely, as the ddukbaegi retains and intensifies heat.
Once the pork begins to brown and the liquid slightly reduces, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid carefully using oven mitts. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Cook uncovered for about 1 minute, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to prevent scorching.
Remove the lid. Add the prepared gochujang mixture and stir to coat evenly. Add the water and Coca-Cola. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, checking once or twice to ensure the sauce is reducing but not burning.
Remove the lid, add the gochugaru, and cook uncovered for another 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and glosses the pork and potatoes. The final texture should be rich and concentrated rather than brothy.
Turn off the heat, cover, and carefully remove from the stove. The pot will remain very hot and continue cooking slightly from residual heat.
Serve directly in the ddukbaegi, on its own or with rice.
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