Cycle 17 – Item 106
Post 5,950
21 (Tue) April 2026
Babyback Ribs in BBQ Sauce with Creamy Polenta
2.5
by me
at home
-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with W and IZ
Purchasing the American-sourced ribs at Costco, I was impressed by the weight of 2.1 kg, double that of a Korean slab, usually less than 1 kg.
The ribs were wrapped in foil and baked in the oven. With 30 minutes remaining, I took them out to open the foil and baste with BBQ sauce, only to realize that the slab had actually been 2 slabs – DOH! Explains the weight. As such, the dry rub was coating the top of one and the bottom of the other, unseasoned in the middle. And they were cooked on the top of one and the bottom of the other, still raw in the middle. Perhaps the dumbest mistake in the kitchen that I’ve ever committed – can’t believe that I hadn’t noticed the double layer of bones while applying the dry rub.
Polenta is an Italian dish. Simply cornmeal simmered in water and/or stock and/or milk/cream. Coarsely ground cornmeal results in a firm polenta that can be formed into cakes and sliced into pieces; finer grinds produce a softer polenta, like mashed potato. Leftover polenta, which becomes firm under refrigeration, often becomes a new dish: baked or fried or grilled.
My first time making the dish – in fact, I can’t recall ever eating it, anywhere – it turned out okay. Shoulda used more butter.
(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See HANSIK)
(See BOOZE)