Easy Korean Beef Tacos

 

   Happy New Year everyone!! I had such an perfect night and I hope the rest of you did too! It was the first night Chris & I got to spend just the 2 of us on New Years Eve and it was fabulous! I made a special dinner (my rockin crabcakes- coming to the blog soon with housemade fries and a bright arugula salad w/lemon vinaigrette). Wine & Champagne flowed and we got to spend some quality time by the Christmas tree watching a movie and the ball drop. Great start to 2013!

 

 But enough about that, lets talk about this killer taco you see before you. This is not only super easy to make, but it's VERY budget friendly! And if you are a condiment collector (as I call myself) you may have all the ingredients for the sauces in your fridge right now. Either way, it's worth making. The beef is quickly infused with this sweet & savory sauce. The vibrant crunch from the quick pickled veggies and the creamy, garlicky chile aioli are such a punch of flavor when combined into one awesome taco. Chris was in love with this dish and so was I. There are similar flavors in the toppings as the bahn mi sandwich I posted back in September. But the beef makes this recipe extra special.

 

  I got the idea for this dish from a recipe I saw for Korean-style tacos where they used short ribs and braised it for 8 hours in a slow cooker. You could do that, but I didn't have that kind of time before dinner and I knew I could make something just as delicious using a quick cooking cut of beef. Flap meat, the stuff you use for carne asada is such a great choice for this taco. It will remind you of skirt steak. It's thin so it cooks fast. I trimmed some of the outside fat to keep it lean. And when you sear this cut of meat and cut it correctly (against the grain), it's incredibly tender and falls apart in your mouth. Yummy!! It also has such deep striations in the meat that it holds onto that awesome sauce and really doesn't need to even be marinaded if you don't have time! (which I didn't). This is a perfect weeknight meal, and isn't everything even better when in taco form?? I think so!

 

Easy Korean Beef Tacos (Makes 4 tacos)

 

1 lbs flap meat (also called "carne asada steak" cut), most fat trimmed

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 Tbs sesame oil

1/2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp fish sauce (optional) 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs ginger, grated or minced

2 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1/2 Tbs Siracha (or more if you like it spicy!!)

 

2 green onions, sliced

4 tortillas

Fresh cilantro (garnish)

 

  Cucumber Salad:

 

1 English cucumber, peeled

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

 

  Sambal Aioli (ok, so Sambal isn't Korean it's mainly used in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore) BUT I am obsessed with it and it goes great with these flavors)

 

 1 heaping spoonful Sambal or more to taste (you can substitute Siracha if you want, but you'd be missing out!)

 1/2 cup mayo (I used Olive Oil mayo to cut the fat & calories, and you can't even tell)

 Kosher salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste

 Squeeze of lime juice

 

 

 

Making the Cucumber Salad: In a medium bowl, whisk all the vinegar, sesame oil, salt, sugar & chile flakes. Thinly slice the cucumbers. Add the cucumber and onions to the vinegar mix and set aside to "pickle".

 

 

 

   To make the Sambal Aioli: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use. Easy!

 

Yummmm...Sambal is sooo good! The combo of chiles, garlic & spices are delish.

  To Make the Beef: In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients from the soy sauce to the siracha. Add the steak to coat it completely. You can do this as far in advance as the night before, or you can do it for 5 minutes. Either way, it will be great. (I'm trying to make this easy for all us busy people)

 

 

Heat a large saute pan in HIGH heat. When the pan is very hot (not smoking!), add a tiny drizzle of olive or vegetable oil. Sear the meat on both sides. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side. It should be furiously sizzling! (AND DON"T THROW AWAY THE MARINADE LEFT IN THE BOWL!)

 

  I cut my steak in 3 large pieces and seared them in batches because you do NOT want to crowd the pan. You won't get any carmelization on the meat that way. Place on a carving board to rest for a few minutes. (Note: You want that slightly burnt carmelization from the marinade on the steak itself, but since there is a lot of sugar in this marinade, the residual marinade in the hot pan tends to burn quickly. If you want to use a paper towel to wipe out any burnt sugars before adding the next batch of steak, that will help keep any bitter, burnt flavors at bay.)

 Now that is some yummy caramelization!!

 After all the steaks have been cook and are resting (at least 10 minutes), place the remaining marinade into the hot pan. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. You just want to kill any bacteria from the raw steaks and at the same time reduce it to a nice sauce for the steak to swim in later. :)

Slice the steaks AGAINST the grain. I cannot stress that enough! It is the difference between a tender steak and a piece of meat you will be chewing on for a while.... This is the general rule when slicing ANY beef cut. (If you don't know what "against the grain" means, maybe this will help. You see the long lines that run across the steak? Make your slices across or perpendicular to the directions those lines run. Do not cut parallel to those lines.)

 See how the steak just wants to fall apart?? Mmmm....that's good stuff, guys.

Drop the steak back in the warm sauce to coat. Warm your tortillas if desired.

 To serve: Stuff your tortilla with the beef, cucmber salad, aioli, and top with the green onions and fresh cilantro. Thank me later ;)

Easy Korean Beef Tacos (Makes 4 tacos)

1 lbs flap meat (also called "carne asada steak" cut), most fat trimmed

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 Tbs sesame oil

1/2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp fish sauce (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs ginger, grated or minced

2 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1/2 Tbs Siracha (or more if you like it spicy!!)

2 green onions, sliced

4 tortillas

Fresh cilantro (garnish)

Cucumber Salad:

1 English cucumber, peeled

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Sambal Aioli (ok, so Sambal isn't Korean it's mainly used in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore) BUT I am obsessed with it and it goes great with these flavors)

1 heaping spoonful Sambal or more to taste (you can substitute Siracha if you want, but you'd be missing out!)

1/2 cup mayo (I used Olive Oil mayo to cut the fat & calories, and you can't even tell)

Kosher salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste

Squeeze of lime juice

 

 

  Making the Cucumber Salad: In a medium bowl, whisk all the vinegar, sesame oil, salt, sugar & chile flakes. Thinly slice the cucumbers. Add the cucumber and onions to the vinegar mix and set aside to "pickle".

  

  To make the Sambal Aioli: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.

 

  To Make the Beef: In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients from the soy sauce to the siracha. Add the steak to coat it completely. You can do this as far in advance as the night before, or you can do it for 5 minutes. Either way, it will be great.

 

  Heat a large saute pan in HIGH heat. When the pan is very hot (not smoking!), add a tiny drizzle of olive or vegetable oil. Sear the meat on both sides. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side. It should be furiously sizzling! (AND DON"T THROW AWAY THE MARINADE LEFT IN THE BOWL!)

I cut my steak in 3 large pieces and seared them in batches because you do NOT want to crowd the pan. You won't get any carmelization on the meat that way. Place on a carving board to rest for a few minutes. (Note: You want that slightly burnt carmelization from the marinade on the steak itself, but since there is a lot of sugar in this marinade, the residual marinade in the hot pan tend to burn quickly. If you want to use a paper towel to wipe out any burnt sugars before adding the next batch of steak, that will help keep any bitter, burnt flavors at bay.)

 



 After all the steaks have been cook and are resting (at least 10 minutes), place the remaining marinade into the hot pan. Let is cook for about 4-5 minutes. You just want to kill any bacteria from the raw steaks and at the same time reduce it to a nice sauce for the steak to swim in later. :)

  Slice the steaks AGAINST the grain. I cannot stress that enough! It will be so tough if you don't. This is the general rule when slicing ANY beef cut. ((If you don't know what "against the grain" means, maybe this will help. You see the long lines that run across the steak? Make your slices across or perpendicular to the directions those lines run. Do not cut parallel to those lines.)

  Drop the steak back in the warm sauce to coat. Warm your tortillas if desired.

To serve: Stuff your tortilla with the beef, cucmber salad, aioli, and top with the green onions and fresh cilantro. Thank me later ;)

Overnight "French Toast" (aka: Breakfast Bread Pudding)

Let's be honest people. When you soak bread in a custard and bake it, it's bread pudding! But because I discovered this recipe and it was actually labeled as, "Overnight French Toast Souffle", I was trying to be respectful of the creator (and you feel less guilty if you call what you are eating "french toast" in the moring instead of "bread pudding". Ha! We are all a little nerotic like that. If we see bread pudding recipe, we aren't going to eat it for breakfast, it's dessert! But who are we trying to kid here. It's also nothing like a souffle, I might add. If it was, there would be whipped egg whites or some element of LIFT! There is nothing like that in this recipe so I don't know what that's all about...

 

  Obviously I did not come up with this dish on my own. (That's why this blog is all about my culinary ADVENTURES!). I like to try what other people come up with sometimes. And about 99% of the time I tweak it. I find that when I follow a (non-baking) recipe to the "T", I am usually a bit disappointed. Then I complain to my husband that I should have gone with my gut and made the revisions I felt that I should as I was cooking it.....(as he rolls his eyes at me)  Just kidding.

 

The only revision I made in this recipe was using half & half instead of cream because that just seemed too heavy for me. I actually think just using milk would be fine too. If I make this again, I think I will forgo the cream cheese or put half the amount. Even though I LOOOOOVE cream cheese, it was a bit too decadent biting into a little hunk of cream cheese with everything else sweet and rich in this dish. (either that, or I'd whip the cream cheese with some egg to lighten it up. But other than that, how can you go wrong with cinnamon bread soaked in a creamy custard and sitting on a bed of brown sugar deliciousness??? It would be pretty hard.

 

I made this on Christmas morning for my husband & daughter. They definitely approved. It was also so nice to whip it up so quickly Christmas Eve night and just pop it in the oven (along with some thick cut bacon) in the morning and have a beautiful breakfast for our little family.

 

 

Overnight "French Toast" (aka: Breakfast Bread Pudding) Serves 6-8

 

Adapted from: Chef In Training

 

 1 loaf cinnamon bread I used Cinnabon brand just like they did, but you can use any cinnamon loaf.

 

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. light Karo syrup

6 eggs

2 cups half & half

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

 

     First, cut the bread in about 1 inch chunks. (no need for perfection here). Set aside. 

 



 

Next, melt butter, corn syrup & brown sugar in a saucepan over med heat. Make sure the brown sugar is dissolved. (about 5 minutes)

 

Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish (or equivalent).

 

 

Hello?? This is getting into sticky bun territory. Don't you like where this is going so far?? I sure as heck did.

 

 

  Layer half of the bread over the brown sugar swimming pool.

 



 

 Dot little chunks of the cream cheese over the bread layer. Then add the remaining bread chunks.

 Next, make the custard by whisking the eggs, half & half, and cinnamon. Pour over the bread and press down (yes, you can use a spoon, but lets get our hand dirty here!) let the bread start to soak up that custard.

Cover this baby up and stick it in the fridge without another care in the world! Except for Santa making a stop in a few hours, of course. ;)

The next morning preheat your oven to 350. I had this little Christmas angel to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa with while it baked for 35-40 minutes and waited for daddy to get out of bed. Pure heaven.

A perfect Christmas morning.

 

  You can sprinkle a little powered sugar on top. It doesn't really need syrup, but I love the maple flavor with cinnamon so I just did a light drizzle. It was pretty fabulous. The bottom soaks up that brown sugar syrup that has made it so moist and delicious. The bursts of cream cheese make it extra decedent. It's in the Top 5 for best french toasts I've had. Some good quality bacon, and a cup of coffee maybe some oj and you will last until that Christmas dinner!

 

 

 She approved. (My toughest critic)

 

 

Enjoy & Happy Holidays!!

 

 

Overnight "French Toast" (aka: Breakfast Bread Pudding) Serves 6-8

Adapted from: Chef In Training

1 loaf cinnamon bread I used Cinnabon brand just like they did, but you can use any cinnamon loaf.

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. light Karo syrup

6 eggs

2 cups half & half

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

  Cut the bread in about 1 inch chunks. (no need for perfection here). Set aside. Next, melt butter, corn syrup & brown sugar in a saucepan over med heat. Make sure the brown sugar is dissolved. (about 5 minutes) Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish (or equivalent).

   Layer half of the bread over the brown sugar swimming pool. Dot little chunks of the cream cheese over the bread layer. Then add the remaining bread chunks.

   Next, make the custard by whisking the eggs, half & half, and cinnamon. Pour over the bread and press down (yes, you can use a spoon, but lets get our hand dirty here!) let the bread start to soak up that custard.

 Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 The next morning: preheat your oven to 350. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and custard has "set". Garnish as desired (powered sugar, syrup, etc.) Enjoy!



Chicken Marsala w/Luscious Parsnip Puree

  When I was in my late teens to early 20's my best friend (at the time) & I used to love going to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I still think Cheesecake Factory is delicious (even though I have a good chuckle thinking about how it was my "favorite restaurant"...boy have I come a long way since then!) But for the first few years of eating there I could NEVER bring myself to order anything but their Chicken Marsala. I was OBSESSED with it! The sauce was heavenly, smothered in mushrooms and they served it with mash potatoes & asparagus. They also melted mozzarella cheese on top which took it over the top. So fabulous.

 Well, a decade went by and needless to say, I expanded my culinary world just a bit ;) as well as my dinner order at CF. But that dish always holds a special place in my heart. So I thought I'd try my best to recreate the dish with a few modifications. Dare I say it came out... BETTER?? Well, it did.

 First off, I dropped the cheese. As delicious as it is, it isn't necessary. The sauce is what this dish is all about. I also get very bored with mash potatoes. Parsnips are such an amazing substitute with the same satisfying texture and earthiness....but they are so much more than that!! I now make them instead of mash potatoes all the time. The creamy, dreamy, velvety puree with a touch of sweetness could possibly convert even the biggest potato head! I promise if you make this dish you you will not only thank me for giving you a delicious Chicken Marsala recipe, but you will love me for introducing you to the wonder of parsnips!

Chicken Marsala w/Mushrooms (Serves 4)

2 large chicken breasts
5 Tbs. butter, divided
1 Tbs. flour, plus extra for dredging chicken (about 1/3 cup)
1 shallot, diced
about 10 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 cup marsala wine
1 cup beef stock
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

 In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms over med-high heat in 1 tbs butter, a bit of oil until beautifully browned. Set aside.

 

 

Next, Slice the chicken breasts in half (lenght wise), so that you have 4 thin chicken breast fillets.

 

 

Just keep your knife level (and use a SHARP knife) for easiest results.

 

 

 

Season chicken with salt & pepper on both sides.

 

 

Lightly dredge chicken in flour. Shake off excess. In the same pan used for the mushrooms, add another 2 Tbs butter and a bit more oil. Heat on Med-high heat and saute chicken until lightly golden on both sides, about 3 min per side. (chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce later.) Do NOT overcrowd the pan. You will never get any color on the chicken that way, it will just "steam" the chicken. Saute in batches as I did here, if your pan can't fit all with space between. Add more oil or butter if needed. Set aside chicken on a plate.

 

 

 Add a bit more butter or oil (Only if needed! You need about 1 tbs fat in the pan to make the roux). Sprinkle the 1 Tbs flour over the butter/oil mix and whisk well.

 

 



 Add the shallots immediately and cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk in marsala wine. (it will instantly thicken up)

 Then immediately whisk in beef stock.

 If sauce is too thick, add more stock of wine to taste. Add mushrooms & chicken back to the pan (including any juices that may have accumulated from the chicken.) Simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with parsnip puree (recipe follows).

Parsnip Puree (serves 4)

4-5 large parsnips (about 2 lbs)
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
About 3 Tbs heavy cream (optional- but highly suggested for optimum lusciousness!)
Kosher Salt & Pepper to Taste

 

 

Peel and cube the parsnips. (as uniform in size as possible so everything cooks evenly)

 



 Place in med-large sauce pot. Cover 3/4 of the way with chicken stock, and fill the rest with the milk to barely cover all the parsnips.

 

 (I know it sounds & looks weird, but it infuses the most delicious flavor!) Simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes (or until very tender when pierced with a fork). Drain off excess cooking liquid into a measuring cup or bowl and set aside. DO NOT get rid of the cooking liquid yet! Looks strange, but trust me, I'm a professional ;)

 

 

 Add back about 1/4 cup at a time of liquid. Use a blender or even easier a hand immersion blender and start blending and adding liquid until it starts to puree nicely.

 

 

Finish with salt & pepper to taste and a bit of cream.

 

 

 You are looking for a silky, but not runny puree. Basically a smooth, mash potato type texture. That's why you add the liquid slowly back into the parsnips. You can always add more, you can't take it out! Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Chicken Marsala w/Mushrooms (Serves 4)

2 large chicken breasts
5 Tbs. butter, divided
1 Tbs. flour, plus extra for dredging chicken (about 1/3 cup)
1 shallot, diced
about 10 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 cup marsala wine
1 cup beef stock
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

 In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms over med-high heat in 1 tbs butter, a bit of oil until beautifully browned. Set aside.

 

 Next, Slice the chicken breasts in half (lenght wise), so that you have 4 thin chicken breast fillets.

Just keep your knife level (and use a SHARP knife) for easiest results. Season chicken with salt & pepper on both sides. Lightly dredge chicken in flour. Shake off excess.

 

  In the same pan used for the mushrooms, add another 2 Tbs butter and a bit more oil. Heat on med-high heat and saute chicken until lightly golden on both sides, about 3 min per side. (chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce later.) Do NOT overcrowd the pan. You will never get any color on the chicken that way, it will just "steam" the chicken. Saute in batches if your pan can't fit all with space between. Add more oil or butter if needed. Set aside chicken on a plate.

 

  Add a bit more butter or oil (Only if needed! You need about 1 tbs fat in the pan to make the roux). Sprinkle the 1 Tbs flour over the butter/oil mix and whisk well. Add the shallots immediately and cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk in marsala wine. (it will instantly thicken up)

 Then immediately whisk in beef stock. If sauce is too thick, add more stock of wine to taste. Add mushrooms & chicken back to the pan (including any juices that may have accumulated from the chicken.) Simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

 

 Serve with parsnip puree (recipe follows).

Parsnip Puree (serves 4)

4-5 large parsnips (about 2 lbs)
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
About 3 Tbs heavy cream (optional- but highly suggested for optimum lusciousness!)
Kosher Salt & Pepper to Taste

 Peel and cube the parsnips. (as uniform in size as possible so everything cooks evenly). Place in med-large sauce pot. Cover 3/4 of the way with chicken stock, and fill the rest with the milk to barely cover all the parsnips. 

 

 Simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes (or until very tender when pierced with a fork). Drain off excess cooking liquid into a measuring cup or bowl and set aside. DO NOT get rid of the cooking liquid yet! Looks strange, but trust me, I'm a professional ;)

 

  Add back about 1/4 cup at a time of liquid. Use a blender or even easier a hand immersion blender and start blending and adding liquid until it starts to puree nicely.

 

 Finish with salt & pepper to taste and a bit of cream. (You are looking for a silky, but not runny puree. Basically a smooth, mash potato type texture. That's why you add the liquid slowly back into the parsnips). You can always add more, you can't take it out! Enjoy!!

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad w/Cherries & Almonds

 

  I was pretty skeptical myself when I thought of eating brussel sprouts raw, but think about it...it's just a tiny cabbage. Like any great "slaw", it can sit for even a few days and not turn into soggy mess like regular lettuces. I have to say this is one of the yummiest salads I've had in a long time. The combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and the hearty fall flavors of this salad will make you addicted! I made it a few weeks ago for the first time, and then made it again tonight. It doubled as our salad and the veggie for dinner. Chris raved. So filling, satisfying and easy to make!

 

 I decided to make one of my favorite dressings to pair with the cherries & almonds: my honey vinaigrette. It's such a smashing combination. I use it in several types of salads at home and in my catering. This recipe can sometimes yield extra dressing, so try it on some arugula or baby greens later w/Imberico or Manchego cheese, marcona almonds & chopped dates (yummmm!!)

 

 

Brussel Sprout Salad w/Cherries & Almonds

 

About 15 brussel sprouts (doesn't have to be exact)

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup marcona almonds

1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese (good quality)

1 avocado, diced

2 Tbs dijon mustard

3 Tbs honey

1 Tbs shallot, cided

4-5 Tbs rice wine vinegar (depending on your taste)

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt & Fresh ground pepper



 

  Lets start with the dressing. Whisk the dijon, honey, shallots & rice wine vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

 

  Next up, the brussel sprouts! Glorious, under appreciated, delicious brussel sprouts.

 

 

Trim the ends, cut them in half (lengthwise), and slice them thin.

 Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl. Add the cherries, almonds. Toss to combine. (I used the rosemary marcona almonds from Trader Joe's in this photo, but yesterday I just used regular salted marcona almonds and was just as good. Use whatever you like!)

 



 

  Drizzle in the dressing. (you may not have to use all the dressing. Use as much or little dressing as you like. I prefer a bit of extra dressing, so I use a fair amount.) Save the rest for salads later in the week...it's delicious!!

 

Gently fold in the avocado & parmesan cheese. 

 

 

You can serve immediately, but it tastes better the longer it sits so the flavors can meld. (1 hour is preferable). Enjoy!!!

Brussel Sprout Salad w/Cherries & Almonds

About 15 brussel sprouts (doesn't have to be exact)

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup marcona almonds

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (good quality)

1 avocado, diced

2 Tbs dijon mustard

3 Tbs honey

1 Tbs shallot, diced

4-5 Tbs rice wine vinegar (depending on your taste)

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt & Fresh ground pepper



  Lets start with the dressing. Whisk the dijon, honey, shallots & rice wine vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

 

 Trim the ends of the brussel sprouts, cut them in half (lengthwise), and slice them thin.  Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl. Add the cherries, almonds. Toss to combine.  Drizzle in the dressing. (you may not have to use all the dressing. Use as much or little dressing as you like. I prefer a bit of extra dressing, so I use a fair amount.) Save the rest for salads later in the week...it's delicious!!

Gently fold in the avocado & parmesan cheese. You can serve immediately, but it tastes better the longer it sits so the flavors can meld. (1 hour is preferable). Enjoy!!! Serves 4