Sunday, March 6, 2011

Korean Style Taco with Cabbage Slaw


In search for a Korean taco recipe (preferably a Kogi taco recipe), I came across two versions. One was with a Kogi BBQ sauce. The other was with a Korean style salsa roja from Closet Cooking. The version with the Kogi BBQ sauce had a slight sweetness to it. This one had a kick to it and was more spicy. Both were equally good, depending on how you like your tacos: sweet or spicy. But I feel that this one was a little bit closer in taste to Kogi's tacos. However, this one required a few more steps. The good thing about this is it made a lot of sauce, so I put the remaining sauce in an airtight container to use again later on. I used my Bulgogi Beef in this recipe and then topped it with a Cabbage/Lettuce slaw. You can also top this with cilantro and chopped onions, as well as kimchi. But we opted to keep it as is. Hubby and I really enjoyed these.

Korean Style Salsa Roja
1/4 lb. plum tomatoes
1/4 lb. tomatillos (husked and washed)
1 cup water
20 dried chiles de arbol
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. grated garlic
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. Korean fermented hot pepper paste (Gochujang)
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (toasted and crushed)

1) Roast tomatoes and tomatillos until charred on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.

2) Place tomatoes, tomatillos, water, chiles, and onion in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until onions are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid.

3) Place everything (except the sesame seeds) in a blender or food processor and puree, adding reserved liquid a little at a time to get the desired consistency. Strain liquid. Add prepared sesame seeds.

Cabbage Slaw
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Korean chili powder (Gochugaru)
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded cabbages

1) Whisk together sesame oil, lime juice, chili powder, and sesame seeds. Toss with lettuce and cabbage.

To assemble the tacos
cabbage slaw
Korean Style salsa roja

1) Place 2 warm corn tortilla on a plate. Top with cooked beef, 1 teaspoon of sauce, and then cabbage slaw.

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