I had no Asian friends growing up til I went to college, if you can believe it (my elementary through high school was all Hispanic, white, or African American. The only other Chinese person was... my sister).
I'm sharing a fun recipe that's easy to make and great for parties or date night - Korean Bulgogi Tacos, which is one of my favorite fusion meals. Classic items like Korean BBQ and kimchi are wrapped inside a Mexican corn tortilla for a unique twist.
I kept mine simple - I marinated my beef with bulgogi BBQ sauce in a jar, which can be found at any Asian supermarket. You can also make your own bulgogi sauce to be more ambitious, or buy meat that's already pre-marinated if you're in a time crunch. Toast your tortilla, then add chopped kimchi and avocado for fillings. Top it off with spicy sour cream, lime, and cilantro for an easy gourmet meal
Korean tacos started in Los Angelos less than 10 years ago, with credit to Chef Roy. At that time, Korean food was still considered exotic, but now you can find them all over the US. (New York Times)
One of the great things about American Cuisine is that everything can become American - nowhere more than in the US do chefs borrow from ideas all over the world to make a food their own. As one article by Community Table states, America is "the greatest smorgasbord on Earth," a reflection of America itself. Bonus: that article also features New Haven's famous White Clam Pizza!
Real American food wasn't created by premier chefs, but by waves of immigrants, bringing their own culture while adapting to America - nachos, chili, pizza, sushi, pita bread, and so on. Having lived in multiple urban areas all over the US - south, west, midwest, east - has definitely been an advantage since I've gotten so much exposure to all cultures (and cuisines!).
While tensions are high amongst Americans regarding immigration right now, hopefully we remember our country's roots. Since everyone loves eating, I share this fusion recipe in solidarity with the hope that food will remind us there's more common ground that not.
Korean Bulgogi Tacos
TACO INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup kimchi, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon siracha
1 lime, cut in half
4-6 corn tortillas
BULGOGI
1/2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
1 jar bulgogi sauce (at Asian supermarkets)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
sesame seeds, to top
Directions
Chop your kimchi finely to make a slaw. Slice your avocado and cilantro. Mix your sour cream with siracha (adjust amount to perfered spiciness level), and juice from half a lime to make your spicy cream.
To make the bulgogi, pour the marinade sauce and meat into a bowl or ziploc bag and let it marinate for at least an hour, ideally overnight. Heat your wok/skillet on medium on the stovetop, add sesame oil, then stir fry about 5 mins until the meat is just brown. Do not overcrowd your meat while stir frying (cook in batches if needed). The meat will cook quickly since it's thin. When it's ready, set aside and top with sesame seeds.
To assemble your Korean tacos, heat your corn tortillas in a toaster oven or grill on stovetop using a skillet. When crispy, top with bulgogi, kimchi, avocado, cilantro (careful not to overfill). Drizzle with spicy sour cream and remaining lime juice. Eat while fresh. Enjoy!
Yum! These look incredible! I'll have to try these for sure :)
ReplyDeleteThey are fun to make
DeleteThis looks delicious! I love eating tacos and this is a nice way to try out something new with tacos!
ReplyDeleteIt makes a nice twist to my usual taco meals
DeleteMy friend from Korea introduced us to this dish. I adore it!
ReplyDeleteMy friend who's not Korean but a huge Korean fan introduced me :)
Deletepinned this to my dinner board...looks delish!
ReplyDeletehope you enjoy it!
DeleteI have eaten these at various places throughout New York and Portland, OR. Now it will be awesome to finally make one of my favorite, go to meals.
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Ah you've tried it on both coasts. NYC where my husband lives has so much amazing fusion foods
DeleteLooks amazing !
ReplyDeleteThese look absolutely perfect! <3 I need em' in my life!
ReplyDeleteThanks! they're pretty awesome
DeleteKorean beef tacos are one of my favorites! Can't wait to try :)
ReplyDeleteThose tacos look incredible! I am going to try making them tonight :)
ReplyDeleteHope they turned out well :)
DeleteMy husband and I are suckers for tacos. I might have to add this to a weeknight dinner very soon. They look delicious!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy them! My husband enjoyed them very much
DeleteThese look so fresh and so yummy. Do you deliver ?
ReplyDeleteHaha, if you live in New Haven
DeleteKimchi and siracha?!!! This sounds phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's favorite sauce - siracha
DeleteI love the twist in this tacos recipe. This looks so delicious and tasty. Awesome share. xx
ReplyDeletehttp://www.prettyweirdbombshell.com/being-more-mindful/
enjoy!
DeleteThese look so great and full of flavor!
ReplyDeleteI love fusion cuisine too, particularly Korean fusion! Most especially bulgogi tacos. We first had them from a food truck and we were hooked! Can't wait to try these at home.
ReplyDeleteFood trucks are super fun and the price is great too
Deleteyou raise some very good, undeniable points about our foods! i think these sound amazing, and i especially love that spicy sour cream drizzle!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks Grace. Politics and food go together. Enjoy!
DeleteWow these looks absolutely amazing! I wish I was skilled enough to try them but for now I'll just drink in the goodness of your photos!
ReplyDeleteThey're not bad to make at all! The same as any regular taco - just different marinades and sauces for a flavor twist
DeleteHaha, I can definitely relate. My sister and I were the only Indians in my high school! I love, love, love bulgogi so these beauties are right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sonali! Indians were definitely scarce in my school too - I honestly can't recall any Indians in my entire high school come to think of it
DeleteVery poignant my dear! I completely agree with your thoughts on American cuisine reflecting its people!
ReplyDelete