Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos
There are a ton of great recipes out there for this dish. I have a preponderance of beef roasts in my freezer, since we started buying freezer packs from our local butcher, so this is my take on Korean tacos, with elements from this slow cooker recipe at VC in the Kitchen, and this Jeffrey Eisner InstantPot recipe. This recipe makes enough for a meal for the two of us, and enough for a couple of 2 person portions for the freezer.
Ingredients
3-4 pound beef arm roast (it’s what I have, a chuck roast
will also do nicely)
2 tablespoons of canola oil divided
For the Marinade/Sauce
1 cup palm sugar, grated (or you can use light brown sugar)—I
love palm sugar in Asian dishes
1/3 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or microplaned
1/2 cup gochujang (Korean fermented bean/red pepper paste), we buy the mild, the
hot is HOT.
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons beef broth (I use Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base 1/2 tsp, dissolved in 1/2 c. boiling water)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 bunch (about 10) scallions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced or microplaned
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 2 whole limes)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (I like Red Boat)--a note about fish sauce: it can be an acquired taste, but it really enhances the flavor of the beef in tiny doses like this.
For Serving:
Hubs loves kimchi, so we bought some for him. I’m doing mine in the style of a Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich (cucumber, shredded carrot and daikon radish, and cilantro).
Sriracha mayo
Fresh Cucumber slices
Kimchi (if you like it, I’m not a fan)
Shredded Daikon radish (this is a very mild white Asian radish)
Shredded Carrots
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Chili Crunch (Momofuku’s is the bomb) will add a nice crunch/punch of spice
Your favorite street taco sized flour tortillas
Step 2. Remove the meat from the marinade and place on a plate. In two batches, put 1 tbsp canola oil into your instant pot and press saute high. When the oil is shimmering, add half the chunks and brown on both sides. Do that a second time. Hit cancel on your instant pot, add 2 tbsp beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get all the yummy bits up, then add all the meat back into the InstantPot and pour the marinade over it. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes with a 15 minute natural release. Remove meat to a sheet pan, and using a couple of forks, shred it.
Optional step for freezing for 2 person meals: Divide the shredded meat into thirds. Place 1/3 aside for dinner. Vacuum seal other 2 servings. In two Ziploc twist-top containers, ladle out 1 cup cooking liquid per container. Freeze containers and vacuum sealed bag for 2 more dinners!
Step 3. Turn your InstantPot on saute normal and cook the remaining cooking liquid down, stirring frequently, until it thickens. Add cooking liquid to a the meat until moist but not soupy. Build your
tacos! I like to steam my tortillas in
the microwave, separated by damp paper towels, with the whole stack wrapped in a
damp paper towel. I usually do 4 at a
time, and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. You can also warm them on a skillet. Spoon a little sriracha mayo on there, put
your meat, and add whatever toppings float your boat. Top with a little of the thickened cooking liquid if you like.
The beef is also fantastic as a rice bowl. Put your rice down, add beef and a little of the cooking liquid to soak through to the rice, and garnish with whatever condiments sound good. Pro tip: I love this with a poached egg, in the style of a Korean Bibimbap.
Buen Provecho!