When I was pregnant, I was craving fermented foods in a big way, in addition to chicken mcnuggets, for some…reason. Miso and kimchi were on my mind, and so was anything that could be made in between my 3 nightly naps. Enter this super quick recipe from Deb Perelman who I am low key obsessed with (along with half of the internet and everyone I know). Honestly, we just made the beef filling with kimchi because we were feeling super lazy. I seriously think I slept about 16 hours a day during my first trimester. However, I do not think I would forego it this time, but I’d probably use butter lettuce instead of the iceberg, because I don’t really need more iceberg in my life. I might even experiment with some napa cabbage slaw if I get inspired.
from Smitten Kitchen Every Day
Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- one 1-to-2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Asian toasted sesame oil
- Red pepper flakes, gochujang, or sriracha
To serve
- 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra for serving
- 1/12 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- Salt
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 8 small flour tortillas
- Kimchi
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
Prepare the filling
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the ground beef and use a spoon or spatula to break it up, cooking the beef until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain any excess grease that has collected. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil to the pan and let simmer, stirring for 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, gochujang, or sriarcha to taste.
Toss the lettuce, lime juice, sesame oil, and scallions in a medium bowl to evenly coat. Season to taste with salt.
Assemble the tacos
Warm the flour tortillas individually in a dry skillet, lightly blistering them. Scoop the beef onto each tortilla with a slotted spoon, draining any excess juices as you do. Garnish with the salad mixture, tomatoes, kimchi, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.