Non-traditional. Decadently saucy. Ooey-gooey with cheese. Cozy and comforting. Spicy Galbi Jjim is all kinds of savory deliciousness!

Not too long ago, I ordered Spicy Galbi Jjim at a Korean restaurant. I’d never heard of it before so I was curious.

Regular Galbi Jjim is a Korean classic. If you like Korean food, chances are you’ve eaten it. Tender, braised beef. Rich sauce flavored with soy sauce, garlic, onion and daikon. The flavor profile is salty, sweet, and garlicky. It’s NOT a spicy dish.

How would Spicy Galbi Jjim compare?

Spicy Galbi Jjim is, well, spicy. With little pork ribs swimming in a sea of fiery red sauce. The pork feels lighter, the spicy sauce more potent and intense. There’s a saturated decadence to the onion-garlic-gochujang sauce that’s been stewed into oblivion.

Regular Galbi Jjim is rich and opulent, as bone-in, beef short ribs are apt to be. It’s the kind of showy, extravagant, formal dish that says: I went all out for you!

By contrast, Spicy Galbi Jjim is understated. It feels more casual and intimate. All those smears of slick, oily sauce. All those tender little ribs, falling off the bone. It’s the kind of food eaten with your hands, late at night, accompanied by lots of cold beer, with the people who’ve seen you at your best and your worst.

I knew I had to make this dish at home.

My version ended up being a little extra. Okay, A LOT extra.

First, I added Dduk — Korean chewy rice cakes.

The French use baguette to sop up sauce, the 4th utensil as it were. We Koreans have dduk. These squishy rice cakes are the perfect accompaniment to a long-simmered, luscious sauce. Two big handfuls ensured the sauce remained the star of the show.

Plus, something about the bouncy, springy texture of rice cakes makes every dish feel like a party. Who doesn’t like biting into soft, chewy pillows of deliciousness?

Also, this dish just begged for some melty mozzarella.

Cheese is the necessary luxury that transforms the most basic Korean dish into something truly spectacular. As a bonus, the cheese pull. This dish proves once again: cheese makes everything better.

Spicy, tender ribs Slick with rich sauce. Chewy rice cakes. Oozy, melty cheese. A cozy combination that’s perfect for cold winter nights!

PIN FOR LATER:

How to make Spicy Galbi Jjim aka Spicy Korean Pork Ribs:

First, parboil the baby back pork ribs.

Koreans parboil meat bones to get rid of all the greasy bits that float to the surface. The result? Cleaner, less gamey-tasting meat. Unmuddled flavors: pork that tastes like pork, sauce that tastes like sauce.

How to parboil: Cover pork bones with enough water to just cover. Boil furiously for 5 minutes. You will see scum and bits of fat floating to the surface and blood leaking out of the bones.

Drain the bones in a colander. Wash the pot with soap and water (there will be lots of fat and scum sticking to the sides). Rinse the bones and add back to the freshly cleaned pot.

Add water and sauce ingredients. Give it a good stir. Simmer (covered) until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 20 more minutes.

Meanwhile, prep the rice cakes by soaking in some cold water. (If they are fresh rice cakes, this is not necessary. Koreans usually store rice cakes in the freezer. Soaking in cold water helps to defrost them.)

Add rice cakes and simmer (covered) until they are al dente — soft but still chewy, about 5 minutes. Turn the rice cakes around and squish them down into the sauce.

Off the heat, add the mozzarella. Cover until the cheese melts into pools of gooey deliciousness, about 5 minutes. Garnish and eat immediately. Serve with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!

More Braised Korean Deliciousness:

Galbi Jjim aka Korean Beef Short Ribs

Bossam aka Korean Braised Pork Belly

Dubu Jorim aka Spicy Braised Tofu