I'm a fan of Korean food. The flavor blending that comes naturally to this cuisine is always a hit at my table. But when I'm looking for a fun way to serve it that mixes things up a bit, I turn to fusion concepts and make burritos:
The key to these amazing burritos is the tender beef and onion mixture. The best way I've found to make it is in a pressure cooker. I'm lucky enough to have an Instant Pot electronic pressure cooker available, though you can use a traditional stove-top pressure cooker (using the same basic instructions as for the Instant Pot and a bit more oversight) or a slow cooker (using the instructions in parentheses within the recipe below), so that's what I used to build my base for these fantastic burritos. I like using the Instant Pot to save time and energy when cooking and will be working some of these recipes into my regular posts here. Fear not, if you don't have one, I'll also be including options for other methods that are more widely accessible.
While the meat in this dish is key to its success, the variety of fillings in the burritos helps to define them as Korean. Grated carrots give them a sweet crunch. Fresh basil lends amazing flavor and a bit of bite. The mayo is both creamy and spicy and should not be skipped. If you have it on hand, you may wish to include some kimchi as well. Once you wrap them up, you won't see it all — unless you carefully slice them down the center — but the flavors blend in a beautiful way. That said, I highly recommend slicing them as shown in the photo above to increase the wow factor.
When it comes to choosing what to serve these burritos with, I suggest giving a nod to simplicity by serving a simple cucumber salad, sliced melon, or something like that. To drink, consider something light: white wine, a pale beer, ice tea, or something in that vein. Keep it simple and embrace the flavors!
Korean Burritos
- 1 lb. tenderized round steak — trimmed of fat and sliced into thin strips
- 1 medium yellow onion — peeled and sliced into thin wedges
- 2 T. grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ c. soy sauce
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 1 T. sesame oil
- Cooked rice
- Fresh basil
- 2 grated carrots
- Sriracha mayo (1-2 tsp sriracha stirred into 1/4 c. mayo)
- 4 large flour tortillas
In the vessel of an Instant Pot (or slow cooker), combine the meat, onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 18 minutes at high pressure and close the lid (or slow cook the mixture for 4-6 hours on the LOW setting). Prepare the rice, basil, carrots, and sriracha mayo while the meat cooks.
When the Instant Pot sounds the end of its cycle, use the quick release method to remove the lid.
To assemble the burritos, space a generous spoonful of rice in the center of a slightly warmed flour tortilla. Tuck fresh basil and grated carrots on either side of the rice. Spoon the warm beef mixture over the rice and drizzle some sriracha mayo over the top of the meat. Fold the burritos by gently tucking the top and bottom of the tortilla in over the fillings, then taking one of the sides and tucking it completely over the fillings, then rolling it over to trap the fillings within. For a good illustrated guide, click here. If desired, slice the burrito in half and serve with additional spicy mayo.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes (4-6 hours, if using a slow cooker)