Korean-Style Tacos

So last week my husband had to have an intervention with me.  He sat me down and said something to the tune of, “honey, I know you love your blog but you are spending 2 grand a month on groceries.”  Wham!  I have to admit that I really don’t pay any attention to what I spend on food because it is my full blown passion.  Every now and again I realize what’s happening and tighten up the budget -- but then a few months pass and I get lazy -- I stop trying to turn my leftovers into something else....I start going to the crazy expensive grocery store that is closest to our house....I don’t plan out meals  at all....  So that’s where I started last week -- staring at a large pork butt and thinking, “we are going to eat this all week and I’m going to make something different with it every day!!!!”  Not all of it is blog-worthy, but these tacos sure are!  

I’ll tell you the best part of these tacos: the pickled cucumbers!  You might be thinking, “aren’t pickled cucumbers just pickles?!”  NO!  These are pickled for just a few hours in rice wine vinegar, giving them a classic asian flavor that I love!  Give these spicy tacos a try -- it’s like street food in your own house!

Korean-Style Tacos (makes 4 servings)

from Key Ingredient

1 pound cooked pulled pork, cooked shredded chicken

12 corn or flour tortillas

¼ cup Quick Cucumber Pickle (below) or prepared kimchi (Korean pickled, spicy cabbage)

For the Kogi BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons Korean fermented hot pepper paste (gochujang)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Whisk all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth. You can make this a few days in advance and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

For the Quick Cucumber Pickle

1 large English cucumber (or 2 Japanese cucumbers), sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh chili pepper (or more depending on your tastes)
generous pinch of salt

Mix together all ingredients. You can make this a few hours in advance and store in refrigerator.

Chicken Tinga Tacos w/ Cilantro Cream

I hosted a taco night a few days ago and was super excited about the three tacos that I had on the menu!  I was cranking those tacos out and realized how difficult it is to get a decent photo of them!  I was slightly annoyed and ready to scratch the whole thing and just stuff some tacos in my mouth, chased by a shot of tequila for my misfortune, but I managed to make one of the taco recipes look pretty enough for the blog.  

This braised chicken is the bomb -- just the right amount of heat and a real flavor explosion.  Add some crunchy lettuce, fresh red onion and cotija cheese and you’ve got yourself a great taco.  Now drizzle that great taco with my cilantro cream sauce and you’ve got yourself a taco that you can eat every day for the rest of your life.  MAN that sauce is good!

Chicken Tinga Tacos with Cilantro Cream

adapted from Food and WIne Magazine

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp EVOO

2 1/2 lbs trimmed skinless bone-in chicken thighs

salt and pepper

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

1 c. chicken broth

24 hard taco shells, warmed

2 oz cotija cheese

scallions and cilantro for garnish

1 recipe cilantro cream sauce {recipe below}

1. Heat 3 tbsp of EVOO in large nonstick skillet.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to 9 x 13 glass pan and pour off skillet fat.
2. Add remaining 3 tbsp EVOO to skillet with onion. Cook 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes with juice, chipotles and broth and boil.  Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350.  Transfer sauce to food processor and cool 15 minutes.  Puree sauce then pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes. 
4. Shred chicken and return to sauce.  Spoon 3 tbsp chicken into each taco shell, sprinkle with cheese, scallions and cilantro and drizzle with sauce.

Cilantro Cream Sauce

1 c. light sour cream

juice from 1 lime

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

1 small garlic clove, minced

1.  Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Drizzle over tacos.