Spicy braised pork ribs with potatoes in red sauce

Spicy Braised Pork Ribs

  • Korean Food Addict
  • Sep 26, 2025
90 min
Story

Introduction to Spicy Braised Pork Ribs

Spicy braised pork ribs is a classic Korean braised dish made by slowly simmering pork ribs in a spicy sauce made from gochujang and gochugaru. More affordable than beef short ribs yet tender and delicious, it's a popular home-cooked favorite. The sweet and spicy sauce penetrates deep into the meat, while potatoes and vegetables absorb the flavorful sauce, making this an irresistible comfort food that pairs perfectly with rice.

History and Origin

Galbi-jjim (braised ribs) originated as a royal court dish, traditionally made with beef short ribs braised in soy sauce. In modern times, the version using pork ribs with gochujang and gochugaru became immensely popular among everyday people. More economical than beef ribs yet offering tender texture and rich flavors, it established itself as a home-style dish. It evolved to perfectly suit the Korean palate's love for spicy foods.

Cooking Tips

Three key elements make delicious braised pork ribs. First, thorough blood removal. Pork must have all blood completely removed to eliminate gamey odors and achieve a clean taste. Soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour, changing the water 2-3 times. Second, the blanching process. Blanching once removes impurities and excess fat, allowing the sauce to penetrate better and creating a cleaner flavor. Adding ginger during this step is excellent for odor removal.

Third, balanced seasoning. You need harmony between the spiciness from gochujang and gochugaru, sweetness from sugar and corn syrup, and saltiness from soy sauce. Adding rice wine or mirin makes the meat considerably more tender and adds depth of flavor. Grating pear or apple into the sauce provides natural sweetness along with enzymatic tenderizing action.

Vegetables should be added in order based on cooking time. Potatoes take longer so add them midway, while green onions and onions cook quickly so add them at the end to preserve their texture.

Adjusting Spice Level

This recipe uses 4 tablespoons of gochujang and 4 tablespoons of gochugaru for a medium to moderately spicy level. If you don't handle spice well, reduce gochugaru to 2 tablespoons and gochujang to about 3 tablespoons for a milder flavor. Conversely, if you love very spicy food, add more cheongyang peppers or increase gochugaru to 5-6 tablespoons.

Adding jujubes provides extra sweetness that softens the spicy flavor, making this dish recommended for those new to spicy Korean food.

Storage and Usage

Spicy braised pork ribs should be consumed within 2-3 days when refrigerated. Store in an airtight container, and when reheating, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and warm slowly over low heat for a freshly-made taste.

Leftover ribs can be stir-fried with rice and seaweed for excellent fried rice. If you have excess sauce, cook udon noodles in it for a delicious meal. You can also shred the meat and wrap it in lettuce or perilla leaves for a ssam-style dish.

Freezing is possible, but potatoes may lose texture when thawed. If planning to freeze, cook without potatoes or remove them before freezing.

Instructions:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
Prepared pork ribs and vegetable ingredients

Prepare ingredients

  • Prepare all ingredients: 1kg pork ribs, potatoes, onion, green onions, cheongyang peppers
  • Optional additions of carrots, jujubes, and ginger will enhance the flavor

Recipe Notes:

  • Soak pork ribs sufficiently to remove blood for no gamey odor. Soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.
  • Adding ginger during blanching greatly helps eliminate gamey odor.
  • Adding rice wine or mirin to the sauce makes the meat more tender and removes any unpleasant odors.
  • Grating pear or apple into the sauce provides natural sweetness and tenderizing enzymes.
  • If the spice is too much, reduce gochugaru and gochujang by half.
  • Use large potatoes and cut into large pieces to prevent them from breaking apart easily.
  • Adding jujubes provides subtle sweetness and softens the spicy flavor of the sauce.
  • Turn the meat during cooking to ensure even seasoning and cooking.
  • If sauce reduces too much, add a little water; if too watery, simmer uncovered to reduce.
  • Letting it rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking allows the sauce to penetrate deeper for better flavor.
  • Store leftover braised ribs refrigerated and consume within 2-3 days. Reheat with a little water added.
  • This recipe is moderately spicy. If you don't handle spice well, reduce gochugaru to 2 tablespoons.

Ingredients:

Serving size

Main Ingredients

  • 1kg Pork ribs
  • 2 Large potatoes
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 stalk Green onion
  • 3-4 Cheongyang peppers
  • 1 Carrot (optional)
  • 5-6 Jujubes (optional)
  • 1 piece Ginger (optional)

Sauce Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Gochujang
  • 4 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  • 7 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Corn syrup
  • 2 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp Rice wine or mirin (optional)
Korean cuisinePork ribsSpicyBraised dishSpecial occasionsComfort food