BEEF BULGOGI TACOS
Whether it’s Starbucks’ persistent march into malls and office buildings worldwide or a taco born of Californians who wanted to mix kimchi and queso fresco, food is a visible part of globalization.
Many people believe that globalization is bringing people together. For ages, food and recipes have traveled across national boundaries. The chili pepper, which is so prevalent in Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, was brought to Asia by European traders in the 16th century from South America.
As far as I can tell, this isn’t quite the same as going to McDonald’s in Beijing and ordering the Big Mac and Taro Pie, but it illustrates that food is continuously changing. To cater to the people’s tastes in the area, it is flexible and adaptable.
What I’m trying to convey is that, while it may seem strange to folks outside of Los Angeles, New York, and Beijing, the idea of placing bulgogi on a warm corn tortilla with crisp cabbage, spicy kimchi, sour cream, and queso fresco––with a squeeze of lime––isn’t that strange. In reality, it’s a fantastic experience. The time has come to assemble some bulgogi tacos.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small Asian pear
- ½ of a small onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 2½ tbsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. of brown sugar
- 1/8 ttsp. of ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. of sesame oil
- 1 1/2 pounds of any tender cut of beef (like top sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain)
- Vegetable oil
- Corn Tortillas
- 1 cup of cabbage (shredded)
- Kimchi
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Queso fresco
- Lime Juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Once you’ve combined the pears with the other ingredients, pulse the mixture in a food processor until it’s smooth. Marinade for at least 2 hours overnight with cut meat and the marinade.
- The cast iron skillet should be preheated to high heat when the steak is done marinating. About three batches of meat will be needed to complete the cooking process. Each batch should have 2 teaspoons of oil. Lay it down in a single layer after the pan reaches a temperature where the meat can be seared. Fry until crisp and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Then flip and fry it again.
- Each batch should just take a few minutes to complete. Put the steak on a serving platter.
- In a dry skillet or over a stove, warm the tortillas. To put together the tacos, start with the shredded cabbage, followed by the bulgogi and then the Kimchi and then the chopped cilantro, and last, the sour cream.