Korean Beef Tacos w/ Cucumber Slaw

This is one of my family's favorite meals!   The beef is slow cooked in a sweet soy sauce and is perfect with the crisp cucumber slaw.   Making your own flour tortillas goes great with this meal but using store bought is just as good too!

Serves 8
Ingredients

Korean Beef Taco's
3 lbs. beef roast - any cut will work
1/2 bottle soy sauce
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce
1 c. water

Cucumber Slaw
1 hot house cucumber
1/4 red onion
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
crushed red pepper flakes to taste

To serve:

• 6-inch flour tortillas
• fresh cilantro

In the bowl of a small food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped (you can do this with a knife or on a microplane as well, but it was really fast and easy in my mini food processor).

Add the beef to the crock pot.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the cooking liquid.  Pour over the ribs.

Set the crock pot to low and cook about 8 hours. When ready to serve, shred into bite-sized pieces.

Skim the fat off the top of the liquid and add to a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and reduced.  Pour over the shredded meat and serve.

For the cucumber slaw, slice the cucumber as thinly as possible, using a mandoline if you have one.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Toss the cucumbers in the mixture and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, warm the tortillas and fill with the shredded meat, and top with cucumbers and cilantro.

Beef Stir Fry

Chinese take out is a favorite in our house!  But in an effort to save money, I have been on a hunt for recipes that replicate the flavor from our favorite Chinese restaurants.  We had a hit with the Sweet & Sour chicken, and this one is another winner!!   This recipe is flexible and can substitute your favorite veggies and can even use chicken or pork!

Another bonus is this comes together quick, so it's perfect for a weeknight meal.  It's also really easy to prep ahead of time by chopping your veggies the day before and marinating the meat earlier in the day.

 

Ingredients

1-1/2 pound Flank Steak, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin against the grain **Putting the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to cutting makes this step much easier!

1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp Sherry Or Cooking Sherry

2 Tbsp. brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger

8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
4 oz. shredded carrots
1/2 onion, sliced
2 c. broccoli, chopped

5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal

Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)

3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil

Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling

Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

 

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add vegetables and stir for 2-3 minutes seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl.

Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.)

Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.
Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the vegetables. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.
Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I love this recipe.  It's a little messy to make with the frying, but it is the best homemade sweet and sour chicken I've ever had.  I'm not usually a fan of Asian food made at home, I always feel its better at the restaurant, but this is one that is on the regular rotation at our house.  Serve with rice and egg rolls and it's just like takeout!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Onion, cut into chunks
• Green pepper, cut into chunks
• Pineapple

Sauce:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish.

Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.  Add in onion.

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees.   Add in green pepper and pineapple for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Source: My Happy Meals