An easy, fun snack recipe, these Korean corn ribs are well balanced between garlicky, sweet, spicy, and savory. Not only are these tasty, they're also vegan and vegetarian friendly!
***Before starting, please, please, please be careful of your knife! If you're not comfortable holding a knife, have someone cut the corn for you. Always be aware of where your knife blade and the placement of your fingers.***
Prior to testing this recipe, both Kyong and I have never heard of corn "ribs" before, but surprisingly, it's been floating around the internet for quite a few years now. I truly have to thank our friend, Joselyn, for introducing us to this ingenious idea, because like what???? Imitating ribs with corn? I know right? That blew our mind. *insert mind-blown gif*
Granted, we were dubious of this trending recipe at the beginning, but our curiosity got the best of us, haha. But hey, it's a good thing right? Cuz this recipe is pretty awesome. The sauce is sweet, savory, kind of garlicky, with a touch of spice, and the texture is crispy but slightly chewy to imitate the texture of meat. Simple, easy, tasty, and fun! Plus, your vegan and vegetarian friends won't have to feel left out!
How to pick good corns
I'm sure there are tons of ways to pick fresh whole corns and everyone does it differently. When we shop for fresh whole corns, we look at the color, the firmness, and the weight of the corn. First, we always look for corns with vibrant, fresh looking husks, but don't always depend on that, because how the husk look on the outside can really deceive you. So, we like to also open the husk and check to see if the kernels inside look plump and vibrant (depending on the type of corn).
Next, we go by the firmness and weigh. The corn may look pretty on the outside and also look vibrant on the inside, but the firmness and heaviness of the corn will tell you how fresh and juicy the corn is. Always avoid flimsy corn because they are dehydrated and probably have been sitting on the shelf for a while. Also, tread carefully with corn on the cobs that feel light for its size. Heavier corn on the cobs mean the corn is juicy and most likely fresher, while the light ones usually indicate water loss.
Shucking corn on the cob
We've seen a few internet hacks for corn shucking, but we've never tried them. Do they work? Let us know in the comments below if you've tried any of those hacks! From all of our experience, both culinary school and restaurants, we've only shucked corn the classic way. With the classic method, simply split the husk of the corn at the tip and pull it down all the way around. After all the fibers and husk have been pull down, break off the woody end of the cob. It should easily snap off.
Split the husk at the tip and pull down to the base. Remove the husk by breaking it at the end. It should snap easily. Wedge the knife into the tip of the corn. Put some force on the blade of the knife, and push all the way down. Further split the corn into quarters. Tadaa!
Quartering the corn
***Before starting, please, please, please be careful of your knife! If you're not comfortable holding a knife, have someone cut the corn for you. Always be aware of where your knife blade and the placement of your fingers.***
For this Korean corn rib recipe, it is essential that the corn on the cobs are split lengthwise. Cutting the corn on the cob this way is how the corn will curl and imitate the curve of regular ribs.
To quarter corn on the cob, we prefer splitting the corn in half with the corn standing up first. Start by jamming the blade of your knife (the part closer to the hilt of the knife) into the tip of the cob. Then, while holding the hilt securely, either smack the blade of the knife with your palm or carefully hold the blade and push it down the core of the cob. After the corn has been halved, place the corn on to its flat side and cut it in half lengthwise again. This way of cutting is a bit safer but will take a bit more force to cut through the cob. You can also quarter the corn on the cob with it standing up, but we found that the tip of the corn is too fragile and usually breaks off.
Do be very careful when quartering the corn on the cobs. Some ears of corn may not have a flat bottom, so you may not be cutting on a flat, secure surface. So to prevent some unnecessary unstableness, make sure your cutting board is flat on your cutting surface and it's secure and won't move around or rock up and down.
Make the sauce ahead of time
Feel free to make this Korean corn ribs sauce ahead of time and use it as you like. You can also double or further increase the sauce recipe and keep it in a jar. Just keep it refrigerated and it'll last for up to 2 weeks.
When is the corn ribs ready?
These Korean corn ribs take about 20 to 25 minutes to bake, but as you know, baking anything can vary due to your oven, the ingredients, and your environment. So rather than depending on time, color and texture is what we look for when determining whether the corns are done baking. Corns cook pretty fast, but they take a little while to become crispy due to their high water content. For us, usually by 20 minutes, our corns start to turn nice and brown in different spots, and that's corn taken straight out of the fridge. The kernels of the corn will look tighter and become more spaced out than before the baking started. By then, the corns are usually good to have the sauce brushed on and baked for another 5 minutes.
After baking, the corns curl to look like "ribs."
An alternative to baking: air fry it!
If you're in love with your air fryer, you can totally make this recipe an air fry recipe instead of baked! Air fry the quartered corn at the same temperature but reduce the time to 15 to 20 minutes instead. The air circulation in an air fryer reduces cooking time, which may not seem like a lot, but definitely a sweet bonus when you're itching to some of these yummy Korean corn ribs!
If you're looking for other Asian snacks, you make like these:
Bake with love!
Mei ❤️
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Korean Corn Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 ear sweet yellow corn , shucked
- 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1½ Tablespoon gochujang (Korean pepper paste)
- 1½ Tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¾ Tablespoon ketchup
- ½ Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic , minced (about 1 tsp)
- Green onion , thinly sliced (optional for garnish)
- Sesame seeds (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a sheet pan lined with either parchment or foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, gochujang, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Set aside until needed.
- ***Before starting, please, please, please be careful of your knife! If you're not comfortable holding a knife, have someone cut the corn for you. Always be aware of where your knife blade and the placement of your fingers.***On a secure, non-slippery cutting board, split the whole corn into quarters, lengthwise. Arrange the quartered corn on the lined sheet pan with some space in between each one. Bake the corn for about 20 minutes, or until the corn kernels develop some brown and becomes crispy.
- Brush the corn kernels with the prepared sauce and bake it for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish the Korean corn ribs with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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