Korean barbecued rack of lamb
Food wishes
This is a recipe that's near and dear to our hearts. It's tradition that we make it once each summer. We first made these ribs sometime around 2020, when we were first learning how to use a charcoal grill. At this point, we've learned to make a number of other dishes on our little smokey joe. But this one remains at the top of our list.
You may wonder, what's so great about these ribs? Well, everything. I adore the marinade, which also acts as a glaze and a sauce. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and a little funky. I also like how two racks fit snuggly on a little grill and soak up a lot of smokey flavor. All of the recipe quantities are perfect as written. My only note is that they don’t specify between using toasted or un-toasted sesame oil in the marinade. I use toasted and it feels right.
As always, the timing on the grill is delicate. Last time we made these (June 2026), we cooked them for about 25 minutes, and they came out a bit too medium. That said, the cook time varies enormously depending on how hot your grill is. As Chef John suggests, a good starting point is to cook the ribs fat-side-down for 8 minutes, then fat-side-up for 12 minutes, then start monitoring their them. This is a good recipe to use a bluetooth thermometer, if you have one. Be mindful of where the hot zones are on the grill, and move the ribs around periodically so that they're evenly exposed to the different zones. The meat thermometer is helpful, but it can only do so much; it's hard to get an accurate reading on a smoking hot grill. Try your best to cook the ribs evenly to 125. And rest assured, even if they come out overdone, they will still be delectable.
This is the perfect thing to make on a cloudless summer evening, when you can enjoy a few drinks outside by the grill. Hats off to Chef John for this flawless piece of craftsmanship. To me, these ribs are summer on a plate.