Korean Bulgogi Tacos

I like to watch Diners Drive Ins and Dives. Its fun to see the different foods being served all around the county and I enjoy the show. I was watching it a few weeks ago and Guy was in Florida at a food truck. The owner of the truck made a Korean BBQ taco that looked really good. It was fresh and the recipe was easy, so I made it for myself. Twice actually.

The second time was better when I made it for a group of friends and family on Super Bowl Sunday. The recipe is pretty straightforward but on my second go I made some changes that I think improved upon the original. The first big change was the meat I used. The recipe calls for short rib meat off the bone. This meat is used in Korean BBQ a lot, but it was too tough for me (maybe I just don't know how to cook it). So the second time I made this I used skirt steak instead and it was perfect. I cooked the meat on the BBQ (not the flat top) as I like the char and flavor. If you BBQ, you need your BBQ to be really hot so the meat caramelizes. When you grill the meat, don't mess with it, leave it on the grill and flip it once only. I chose to grill the skirt steak in one piece and slice it after I pulled it off the BBQ. This was easier for me as I was cooking a lot of meat. The other way would be to slice the meat and then grill it, but that presents its own challenges. Either way, slice the meat in thin slices diagonally across the grain.

When I made the marinade I cut up some fresh ginger and added it to the blender. I used a lot more ginger that the recipe calls for. I also added some thinly sliced carrots to the slaw for color and texture. I couldn't find mirin wine so I used some sake that I had on hand and it worked great. One thing to note is when you add the green onions to the blender, put the whole stalk in, both the green part and white part. Blend everything and then taste it. I added more brown sugar than the recipe calls for and also added some chili flakes. Pour the marinade into a bag or container with the meat and let sit overnight. Have all of the other ingredients ready before you grill the meat so that you are ready to serve this once the meat is done. Serve this with ice cold beer or medium body red wine, your friends will be very happy. Enjoy!

3 pounds beef short ribs, off the bone 1 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup mirin 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup sesame oil 6 cloves garlic 6 scallions 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger twelve to fifteen 6-inch yellow corn tortillas or flour tortillas for the slaw: 3 cups roughly chopped Napa cabbage 1 cup matchstick-size daikon slices 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 6 scallions, diced for the dressing: 2 limes, juiced 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons Siriacha 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Cut off any excess fat from the short ribs then thinly slice the beef and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl or in a plastic resealable bag.

In a blender or food processor, blend the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, scallions and ginger. Pour half of the sauce over the short ribs, ensuring all the beef is covered. Seal tightly and marinate the short ribs in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Place the other half of the marinade in a pan and reduce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick. Place in a serving bowl and reserve to drizzle on the tacos.

For the slaw: Place the cabbage, daikon, cilantro and scallions together in a medium to large bowl.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, mirin and Sriracha. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Place the dressing in the fridge until ready to use.

For the taco assembly: Heat your griddle to high. Flash cook the meat while simultaneously caramelizing the marinade. Place your short ribs on the griddle. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and flip. Cook an additional 3 minutes, then wrap the meat in foil and set aside.

Grill up your tortillas. Flip after 45 seconds. Grill for another 45 seconds and remove.

On the grilled tortillas, pile some Korean slaw, dressing, beef, reserved and reduced marinade and extra Sriracha to taste. Then, chow down.

Bon Appetite!

Chris and The GWMG Team