Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
-1-2 slabs baby back ribs
-2 stalks of leeks, roughly chopped
*Marinade:
-2 tbsp sesame oil
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1/2 cup water
-1/4 cup rice wine (mirin or rice vinegar)
-4 tbsp honey
-2 tbsp brown sugar
-8 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tbsp finely grated ginger
-1/2 medium sweet apple, grated
-1/2 tsp black pepper
optional:
-2/3 cup gochujang
-2 tsp gochugaru
Directions:
Prepare the ribs: Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs by sliding a table knife between the membrane and the rib bone. Pry the membrane up, stretching until it tears. Hold one end of the membrane with a paper towel, peel off the membrane and discard. Place ribs in a dish that is long enough to fit them comfortably.
For the marinade:
Add marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in a dish or jar to be used for the glaze. Refrigerate until needed.
Pour remaining marinade over the ribs, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with oil spray. Remove the ribs from the marinade and place on the foil-lined baking sheet. Cover the ribs with a second sheet of oil-sprayed foil, sprayed side down. Crimp the edges of the foil together on all sides and turn them up to keep the juices contained.
Transfer the baking sheet to the center rack of the oven and bake for 2 hours (low and slow). Remove the sheet pan from the oven and partially unwrap to check for doneness.
Take the ribs out and let them cool before pan searing them. Once they are cooled enough to handle, hand cut them into spare ribs (keep bone in).
Add 2 tbsp of oil to a pan and carefully add the ribs, pan drippings, and the chopped leeks to the pan and saute them for 3-5 minutes just to get a nice crispness to the glaze. Serve right out of the pan and enjoy!