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Korean Style Baby Back Ribs with Pancakes and Plum Dipping Sauce

  • Writer: Donata von Kanitz
    Donata von Kanitz
  • Feb 27, 2021
  • 3 min read

These Korean Style Baby Back Ribs with Pancakes and Plum Dipping Sauce are the most delicious thing to come out of my kitchen in a while, combining spicy and salty and sweet in one delicious package!


Have I got a treat for you today: Korean Style Baby Back Ribs with Pancakes and Plum Dipping Sauce. Swoooooon!

Juicy, spicysweet ribs, drizzled with a plum dipping sauce, wrapped up in a soft pancake, livened up with the crunch of cucumber and scallions, this is setting the flavor bar deliciously high.

Now, I realize this is an untraditional conglomerate of cuisines; You don’t usually find Korean gochujang paste and Cantonese hoisin sauce in the same recipe and combining ribs and pancakes is also a slightly renegade move, but I’m telling you, everything works unbelievably well together!

Happy Weekend, everyone!


xoxo Donata



Ingredients

Serves 3-4


Marinade


2 tbsp gochujang paste

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 g fresh ginger, grated

8 cloves garlic, minced


3 lb (1,2 kg) baby back pork loin ribs


Pancakes


200 g all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp sesame oil

200 ml boiling water

peanut oil for frying


1 English cucumber

5 oz (150 g) scallions

back and white toasted sesame seeds as garnish


Dipping Sauce


2 tbsp plum butter

3 tbsp Shaoxing Wine or dry sherry (optional, otherwise substitute 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar)

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/2 tbsp gochujang paste

Preparation

  • In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and set aside.

  • Remove the membrane on the ribs. It’s a thin, white layer on the bone part of the ribs that can be a bit tough when cooked. Gently slide the tip of a knife under the layer of membrane and lift it up. Then use a paper towel to take hold of the membrane and pull it off.

  • Place the ribs in a roasting pan. Pour the marinade over the ribs and use a basting brush to spread it all over. Let marinate covered in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.

  • When ready to cook, preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Baste the marinade over the ribs again and turn them meaty side down.

  • Bake in the oven for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting halfway, or until an inserted meat thermometer reads 180-190 F (82-90 C). Then turn the rack over once so the meaty part faces up. Set the oven onto broil and broil for 5-7 minutes or until surface is bubbly and brown.

  • Remove from oven, cover with tin foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

  • While the ribs are in the oven, prepare the dipping sauce and the pancakes.

  • Combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a near boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

  • For the pancakes, sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with a non slip bottom if you’re using a hand mixer. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt.

  • Fit the dough hooks on the mixer and, with the mixer on, gradually pour the boiling water and sesame oil into the flour and mix until a cohesive dough forms.

  • Let cool for 20 minutes. When cool, knead thoroughly with your hands on a lightly floured surface. Form into a long log and cut into 16 equal pieces.

  • Roll these out as thinly as you can with a rolling pin into 16 little pancakes.

  • Warm half a teaspoon of peanut oil in a large pan over medium to high heat.

  • Fry the pancakes 3 or 4 at a time until cooked, about 1-2 minutes on each side.

  • Stack and set aside to cool.

  • Cut the cucumbers and scallions into about 2“ (5 cm) long thin matchsticks.

  • Arrange the pancakes, cucumber and scallions on a plate or platter. Transfer the dipping sauce to a serving bowl.

  • When the ribs are just cool enough to handle, grasp the bones of the ribs with a paper towel and pull them all out. They should come out easily. Cut the ribs into pieces along the natural partitions.

  • Arrange on a plate or platter and serve with the pancakes, cucumbers, scallions, dipping sauce and sesame seeds as garnish.



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