To me, Asian food is ever-elusive. I can never quite pinpoint the flavors in so many Asian foods, which is why it interests me so much. There are so many lovely subtleties about Korean cuisine that I am sure my version is no match for the real thing. But when you pair delicious slow-roasted pork with tangy ribbons of cabbage in a taco, how could you go wrong? I don’t think it’s even possible to make a bad taco.
This recipe is so simple to throw together before you head out the door in the morning. Just throw everything into a crock pot and wait 8 hours. It certainly doesn’t hurt that when you get home your house will smell like some wonderful person has been prepping dinner for you–oh wait, that’s you. And it only took you five minutes to make. It makes a large amount, so it’s great for a crowd or you can turn it into a soup the next day. Or, hell, maybe a pizza! It’s so versatile.
Here’s a picture of some ingredients you may not have. I got all of these at Kroger, so fear not! You will be able to find them easily.
Look at that delicious ginger. The ginger really makes this one sing, so don’t skimp!
SLOW COOKER KOREAN BARBECUE TACOS WITH VINEGAR SLAW RECIPE
serves 6-8
Ingredients:
4 lb pork loin
1/2 cup gochujang
1/4 cup mirin (or sake)
1/4 cup soy
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbsp sesame oil
a thumb sized ginger root, peeled and minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 head of red or green cabbage
1 carrot
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
1 tsp soy sauce
18-24 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Directions:
In a slow cooker, add the pork loin. In a small bowl, add the gojuchang, mirin, 1/4 cup soy, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, apple cider, sesame oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix together with a fork and pour over the pork loin. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Once cooked, shred the pork with two forks.
To make the slaw, finely slice the cabbage, making sure the pieces are very thin like cole slaw. Add to a large bowl. Peel the carrot and using a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons of carrot into the bowl of cabbage until the carrot is gone. In a small bowl, mix together the other 2 tbsp rice vinegar, vegetable oil, and soy sauce. Pour over the cabbage mixture and mix well. Set aside.
To heat your tortillas, put a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add each tortilla, cooking for about 1 minute on each side or until it starts to get small brown spots. To make your tacos, add the pork and then the slaw. Top with cilantro.
