Korean-Style Bulgogi Beef Tacos

My husband and son share an insatiable appetite for Korean barbeque--and an equally strong dislike of the lettuce leaves traditionally used to wrap the beef. One night, inspired by Korean food trucks, we decided to experiment with our own version, wrapping marinated Korean bulgogi in hot corn tortillas--they were an instant hit, filled with crisp, spicy sweet cucumber, creamy avocado, crunchy scallion, and a punch of gochujang, a Korean hot pepper paste.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 268 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup sake
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), or to taste
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• ½ yellow onion, cut into chunks
• 12 (6 inch) white corn tortillas
• 2 pounds rib-eye steaks
• ½ Asian pear, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece ginger root, peeled
• 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), or to taste
• 5 small cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Trim excess fat from beef and slice very thinly across the grain. Transfer beef to a container.

Step 2

Place onion, pear, garlic, ginger, and sake in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Pulse until marinade is well mixed.

Step 3

Pour marinade over beef. Gently massage beef for a minute or two. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 4

Mix vinegar, sugar, garlic, gochugaru, sesame oil, and salt together in a large bowl. Add cucumbers and green onions and mix gently by hand. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5

Remove beef from refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking.

Step 6

Heat canola oil in a cast iron pan over high heat. Cook beef in batches, one layer at a time, stirring until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding beef, or it will end up steaming instead of browning. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Step 7

Heat tortillas in another skillet, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Serve beef bulgogi with the tortillas, cucumber salad, and avocado, green onions, and cilantro as garnishes. Drizzle gochujang over tacos, mixing it with a little water if too thick.