Korean Roasted Pork Ribs (돼지갈비구이): Delayed gratification

I'm a little short tempered these days.  Truthfully I'm not the MOST patient person (I used to be but three kids sucked that RIGHT out of me), but I do have some measure of patience usually.  But these days, Son has taken it upon myself to try my patience and run those levels dry.  The reason?  His birthday.

Son turns 4 when it seems like it was only yesterday that he was born.  I can remember most things about his delivery day and it's hard to believe that it's already gone in a blink of an eye, and he's almost FOUR.  But in the process of turning 4, Son has been driving me nuts, because he CANNOT WAIT for anything.  He wakes up every single day and asks if it is his birthday yet.  I keep explaining, showing, explaining, reasoning that it is still a few days away.  Then comes the tantrum where he says things like, "It's NEVER going to be my birthday.  NEVER!!!"  or "My birthday is taking forever."

Add to THAT his sudden obsession with packages in the mail.  Any time a package comes in the mail, he asks "is that for me?"  I have no idea where he got the idea that he would even ever get stuff in the mail, but suddenly, there it is. He has a raging need to get stuff and have it be his birthday.  I can only have the same conversation with him so many times, and it seems that he is demanding that this conversation has to happen ALL the time.  "Mommy is today my birthday?" is the most often repeated question.    And still I have to say no.

Understanding delayed gratification and being able to deal with it is often declared one of the most important life skills.  In our society where everything is instant, from noodles to messaging, the idea of waiting for something is completely foreign.  No one does it anymore.  No one waits for anything.  And I confess, I am just as guilty.  I want answers right now, I want stuff done right now, and I the act of waiting for something often times makes me nuts.  I know where Son got his inability to wait - he got it from me.

In the moments when I am most impatient, I try to figure out why I am so.   I ask God to help me through those moments and to help me find a measure of peace in the waiting.   It's slow work, teaching me to wait, but God knows what I need, and I'll keep on trying to learn it.

These ribs are one way for you to learn how to be patient because they do take time.  They don't take a total crazy amount of time or a crazy amount of work, but they do require that you roast the ribs in the oven for a while, allowing them to get tender and delicious.  Waiting for these, delaying your gratification is totally worth it.  I promise.

Korean Roasted Pork Rib (돼지갈비구이)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
2 racks pork baby back ribs (4 to 5 lbs), each rack divided into two pieces

Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce
½ cup honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup red pepper paste (고주장)
¼ cup sake
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seed

Chopped scallions or cilantro (super yum!) for sprinkling - optional

Method
In a small bowl, mix together marinade ingredients, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and black pepper. Wash pork and pat dry. Rub marinade all over pork rib racks, massaging them well. Set aside and allow ribs to rest with marinade, at least 30 minutes, or overnight. (If you’re going to allow them to sit in the marinade over night, then cover and refrigerate. If you’re going to cook in 30 minutes, leave ribs at room temperature.)

Preheat oven to 350. Line roasting pan with tin foil. Roast ribs for 45 to 55 minutes. While ribs are baking, in a small bowl, make the sauce, mixing together honey, soy sauce, red pepper paste, sake, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and sesame seed. Remove ribs from oven. Separate racks into individual slices, scoring each side (marking each side with vertical cuts.)

Increase oven temperature to 500. Brush sauce onto each rib, coating fully. Return ribs to the oven, cooking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until sauce begins to caramelize. Remove ribs from heat, and spread one more layer of sauce. Return ribs to the oven, and allow them to cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle ribs with scallions or cilantro and serve.

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