I’m sure you’ve heard of fusion cuisine, it’s been around since the 1970s. Fusion has become a big in today’s contemporary restaurants and chefs have gotten very creative.
So what is Fusion Cuisine anyway? As its name suggests it’s cuisine that combines or fuses elements of culinary traditions and foods from different countries, regions, or cultures.
A popular type is Pacific Rim Cuisine that combines foods and cooking styles from countries and islands around the Pacific Ocean, like Kilawin Poke where Hawaiian Poke (diced raw fish) meets Filipino Kilawin, a Filipino style Ceviche.
Another fusion style is Chinese Pizza, sounds weird I know but it works. It puts favorite Chinese dishes like beef broccoli on top of a pizza crust and sprinkled with cheese.
So here’s a fusion dish that combines Korean flavors with a Mexican favorite, Korean Beef Tacos. It’s similar to my Korean Fried Chicken Baos which puts Korean fried chicken inside a Chinese steamed bao.
This dish is amazing! It’s a little sweet, a bit garlicky, and has just the right bite of sriracha. The sweet beef is topped with caramelized kimchi, sriracha lime mayo, and cilantro. All this goodness in a mini flour tortilla. The flavor combination is perfect. Your family and friends will love it!
By the way you can sub the beef with ground Turkey or impossible beef for a lighter or vegan taco.
Korean Beef Taco with Caramelized Kimchi
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 6 Tsp. Sesame Oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Tsp. Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 Tsp. Ground Ginger
- 2 Tsp. Oil, Vegetable or Cannola
- 1 Cup Kimchi, Chopped
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Mayo
- 2 Tbl. Sriracha
- Juice from 1 lime
- 12 Mini Flour Tortilla
- 1/2 Cup Red Onion, chopped in small pieces
- Chopped fresh Cilantro
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, 2 Tsp. Sesame Oil, red pepper, and ginger in a small bowl.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan on medium high heat.
- Add garlic and cook about 1 minute stirring frequently.
- Add ground beef and cook until crumbly.
- Stir in sauce mixture. Combine well and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Set aside.
- Heat rest of sesame oil in small pan on medium high heat.
- Add kimchi and sugar.
- Stirring constantly cook until it’s caramelized, about 4-5 minutes.
- Set aside.
- Combine mayo, sriracha, and lime juice.
- Warm mini tortillas.
- Add ground beef.
- Top with onions, kimchi, and sriracha mayo.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds before serving.
