Korean (Bulgogi) Tacos

If you’ve ever tuned to the Food Network or Cooking Channel for more than 10 seconds then I’m sure you’ve seen something about the food trucks that have been taking over the country.  Of course, the most popular ones seem to be the taco and torta (sandwich) trucks that are all too common near construction sites, but there is also a big fusion movement going on in the food truck industry.  One of the most common is the mix of Korean and Mexican influences that, to my knowledge, was started in L.A. by Kogi BBQ but can be found in many other locations today.  Here in Durham, NC, we have the Bulkogi (sic) Truck (twitter: NCBulkogi) though I have not had the pleasure of trying their food yet.

The idea of using Korean (or any Asian) flavors to marinate the meat and toppings sounds like a winner to me.  I did some research as to what the most common toppings for a Korean taco would be and, through multiple sources, found that cabbage, raw onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, lettuce, and hot chili paste were the most prevalent.  Since I was trying to make something simple and that my wife would enjoy (she’s not a big fan of raw onions), I decided to use only some marinated cabbage, cilantro, and sesame seeds and leave the chili paste on the side to be added to taste.

I then set out to find the right meat and seasonings for my marinade.  I went to Trader Joe’s for some other groceries that I needed and I discovered that they carry a package of pre-marinated Bool Kogi (sic) meat.  I had set out to purchase either rib eye or boneless short ribs for the recipe but was happy to try the Trader Joe’s brand (they use rib meat).  The meat was cut thin enough (less than 1/4 of an inch thick) but I still had to do some trimming to eliminate some  excess fat in the meat and I wanted to slice it into thin strips (about 1-inch by 1/4-inch).  Here is a picture of the packaged beef:

You will also notice that we chose to use flour tortillas instead of the more traditional corn tortillas.  We don’t really care much for the corn tortillas in my house so we went with what we liked the most.  If you’re interested in being more “traditional” then, by all means, use corn tortillas.  I tried them the first time I made this recipe and didn’t much care for them.  But, it’s your taco and you should use what you like best.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you and can’t get this pre-marinated meat, just marinate it yourself.  When calculating the amount of tortillas needed, figure about 1/3-1/4 pound per taco.

Ingredients:

4-6 Flour Tortillas
2-4 lime wedges
6 oz cabbage, shredded
1-1.5 lb thinly sliced rib eye or boneless short rib, marinated
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp fermented chili paste (such as Sriracha)

For the Cabbage Marinade:

2 tbsp light sodium soy sauce
2 tsp each lime juice and rice vinegar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp each grated garlic and sugar

For the Beef Marinade:

2 tbsp light sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp each rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame seeds
1/2 tsp each grated garlic and chili paste (Sriracha works great)

Procedure:

If you can’t find the Trader Joe’s beef package, make it yourself by whisking the beef marinade ingredients in a bowl and pouring it over the thin strips of beef. Let it marinate for 24 hours. Make sure you remove the beef from the refrigerator at 30-45 minutes prior to cooking to allow the beef to come to room temperature (this will allow the pan to stay hotter and put a good sear on the meat). Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron works best) with about 1 tsp of vegetable oil to medium-high. While the skillet comes to temperature, mix all the cabbage marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the cabbage and let it marinade for 5-10 minutes, but not longer or it might get soggy.

Once the skillet begins to smoke, place the marinated beef in the skillet and let it sit for 2-3 minutes so that it browns on one side. After about 2-3 minutes, the beef will have released some of it’s juices and should now be ready to stir-fry. Just move the beef around the skillet for another 2-3 minutes until the beef is just cooked through. Remove it to a platter.

Heat 4-6 flour tortillas as you normally would (some people use the microwave, others use a gas burner, it’s your choice). Place some beef on the tortilla and put a little bit of the chili paste on it. Top it off with some cabbage, cilantro, and sesame seeds and serve.

Buen Provecho!