Cycle 4 - Item 133

18 (Sat) May 2013

BBQ Babyback Ribs

3.5

by me

at Palhyeon Camp

-Namyangju, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with DJ, P family

While 4 prior posts have featured meals at this campsite, this is the first time showing the grounds of the campsite.

First, I appreciate the proximity to home.  It's located 39 km away in Namyangju, a satellite city northeast of Seoul.  (In fact, when IZ suddenly developed a fever at mid-afternoon, I drove him and his mommy to our local pediatrician, then home, and got back to the site in time for dinner.)

Second, I like that most of the property comprises an actual forest with big trees, giving the experience a groovy commune-with-nature vibe, unlike the vast majority of "auto-camping" sites artificially cut from farmlands.

The one drawback is a lack of running water and proper restroom facilities up on the mountain; sinks and toilets are available at the base of the hill, less than 1 km away.

I am happy to find that making a decent BBQ sauce is much easier than many professional time/labor/ingredient intensive recipes would suggest (see for example 3.123 Pan-Grilled Chicken with Garlic Mash in Mario's Kick-Ass Barbecue Sauce).  Here, I improvised with tonkatsu sauce + ketchup + liquid smoke + honey + black pepper + chili/onion/garlic powders, which turned out very nice.

I am also happy to find that the Texas Crutch works beautifully on babyback ribs.  I wrapped two racks of ribs in foil and cooked them in a closed kettle grill on high indirect heat.  After 1 hour, the ribs were cooked through yet thoroughly moist in their own juices.  For the finish, I brushed the ribs with the BBQ sauce and grilled them directly over the coals for 5 minutes per side to get a bit of caramelization/char.  Awesome.

(See also CAMPING)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

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