Dwaeji Galbi Jjim is pork ribs braised in a spicy, sweet, and savory sauce. While it takes a bit of time, you can make this all in one pan! It’s super easy to put together!
These Korean Braised Pork Ribs are inspired by one popular Korean show where a Korean actor cooked this dish for Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. It looked so good that I instantly craved it! But aside from that, they enjoyed it so much, it made me so happy to see big stars enjoying Korean food!
This pork ribs recipe is the counterpart of the Classic Galbijjim or Braised Beef Short Ribs. Both are in a rich, sweet, and savory sauce, but the pork version has a spicy kick! Furthermore, pork ribs cost less (only $15!!), yet they still yield an extremely flavorful and meaty dish!
Ingredients for Korean Braised Pork Ribs
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Baby Back Ribs
For this recipe, I specifically used Baby Back Ribs cut along the bones. They are lean and have less fat. When these are braised, the bones will emit flavor, then the meat will absorb the sauce. Ooh!
Sauce for Dwaeji Galbi Jjim
- Vinegar – The main purpose of adding vinegar to this dish is to reduce any strong pork odor. It helps make the dish aromatic and tasty to eat.
- Sugar – Sugar is added so it can caramelize and help the pork have a nice golden brown color. The sugar will also naturally tenderize the meat.
- Soy Sauce and Fish Sauce – These will be the source of savor and umami on the dish.
- Garlic, Onion, Scallions – These will be the aromatics that will add so much flavor to the dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Gochugaru – To add a spicy kick to the dish! Add as much as you like!
- Ketchup – For an additional boost in umami, acidity, and sweetness.
- Water – This will help braise the meat until it is fork-tender!
How to Make Korean Braised Pork Ribs
To begin, wash the pork ribs and drain it well. Optionally, you can soak the ribs in water for 30 minutes to remove any impurities from it. Once done, drain well.
Prepare your ingredients by mincing the garlic, chopping the onion into quarters, and chopping the scallions into 2-inch pieces. Set it aside.
In a pan on high heat, add a little bit of oil—just enough so the pork won’t stick, but not too much since the pork also renders some fat. Sear the pork until there is browning on each side. This step will make the pork flavorful and aromatic!
Add sugar and vinegar to reduce any strong pork odor and to add caramelization to the pork. Saute it well, then add soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, onion, scallions, red pepper flakes, and ketchup.
Mix the pork thoroughly so the sauce is well combined. Continue to stir fry for a couple of minutes so the garlic, onion, and scallions become aromatic, and the sauce is reduced and sticks to the pork.
Add water, give it one last mix, cover, turn the heat to low, and allow the dish to simmer for 40 minutes until fork tender. You need to braise this on low heat so the meat does not dry out.
NOTE: Optionally, you can add sliced carrots and potatoes to add vegetables to the dish. Add at the same time as the water so it breaks down with the pork.
The pork should remain juicy and tender, while the sauce becomes rich as the flavors from the pork bones and the seasonings infuse together.
NOTE: To serve, you can also sprinkle some cheese on top then cover/broil/torch it so it melts nicely.
Serving and Storage
Enjoy the dish with rice or noodles. Personally, I added some glass noodles to the leftover sauce in the pan. So good! Aside from that, it also goes well with other side dishes like chive kimchi, radish salad, or cucumber salad.
For any leftovers, store them in a clean container and in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave as needed.
Other Korean pork dishes you might like:
- Korean BBQ
- Sweet and Sour Pork (Tangsuyuk)
- Korean Boiled Pork (Bossam)
- Spicy Pork Stir Fry (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
- Dumplings (Mandu)
- Soybean Paste Pork Belly
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Braised Pork Ribs (Dwaeji Galbi Jjim)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Baby Back Ribs Cut along the bones
- 2.5 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Vinegar
- 2.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Garlic
- 1 whole Onion Chopped into quarter sizes
- 2 stalks Scallions Chopped to 2-inch pieces
- 1-3 tbsp Pepper Flakes Depending on your spice preference
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Wash the pork ribs and drain it well.
- In a pan, add a little bit of oil, and on high heat sear the ribs until all the sides are nicely golden brown.
- Add vinegar and sugar, and mix it thoroughly until the pork odor has reduced and the sugar has caramelized.
- Add soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, onion, scallions, red pepper flakes, and ketchup. Mix it thoroughly until all the sauces are well combined.
- Continue to saute the pork in the sauce until every piece of pork gets coated with the sauce.
- Add water, give it one last mix, cover, turn the heart to low, and braise it down for 40 minutes.
- Serve with rice or noodles and some side dishes. Enjoy!
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