There is a dish I love, called galbi jjim (pronounced “gal-bee jeem”) that consists of short ribs braised in a salty-sweet broth. I only made it once, though, because it takes several hours of hands-on cooking. There had to be a better way, I thought. When it comes to long, slow cooking, nothing beats the crock pot, so I started there. I quickly realized, however, that a large part of the dish – namely the bone – wasn’t adding anything to the finished crock pot recipe, so I switched tactics again. Voila! Korean Pot Roast!
You can eat this right out of the crock pot, with rice, kimchee, and banchan. But since you’re cooking a two- to three-pound roast, you will likely have leftovers. Ready for something really wild? Why not try Korean tacos! Here in Los Angeles, they are quite the rage, with several of the city’s hippest restaurants and food trucks putting their own spin on this fusion of Mexican and Korean. I make my tacos pretty basic, but feel free to get wild with them! Below are recipes for both the pot roast and the tacos. Make the pot roast first, then you can have tacos the next day. You culinary globe-trotter, you!
Slow Cooker Korean Pot Roast
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2- to 3-pound beef chuck roast
- 1/2 red or white onion, sliced thinly
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the back of your knife
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Directions:
- Set crock pot to HIGH. Pour in the sesame oil and swirl around the pot to coat. Add roast and push down to fit. Cover the roast with onion slices and garlic cloves, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour apple juice and soy sauce over roast.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours, depending on the size of your roast. When done, you should be able to pull it apart with a fork. Serve with steamed rice, kimchee, and banchans or vegetables of your choice.
Korean Tacos
Ingredients:
- Leftover Korean pot roast
- Corn tortillas
- Cilantro
- Thinly sliced red or white onions
- 1 quantity sauce from the Dubu Buchim recipe, or salsa of choice
- Optional ingredients: chopped cabbage or lettuce, avocado, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice
Directions:
- In the microwave, reheat the pot roast. Make sure it is thoroughly heated. When you have it very hot, drain away any juices, but keep the onions and garlic, if there are any.
- Wrap corn tortillas in a damp dish towel and place between two plates. Microwave for 30 seconds. This gets them hot and steamy!
- To assemble: fill tortilla with beef, then spoon over some of the Dubu Buchim sauce (or even just a smear of gochujang!) Sprinkle with lots of chopped cilantro and onions, and whatever other optional taco ingredients you choose.
Explore, experiment, enjoy!
— Dana
Find more recipes from Dana, Korean and otherwise, at Frugal Girlmet!
