Kalbi Veg Tacos w/Kogi Slaw
This recipe comes from Roy Choi’s Master Class. An authentic binge-watch! His teaching style is raw and edgy, and his intention to make me feel confident with my choices in the kitchen was clear. He radiates ingenuity, not only in his cooking but also in the way he communicates with his audience.
There is nothing more inspiring than watching someone with so much passion create something they love and, at the same time, route for the other person.
Kogi Vinaigrette
1-2 inch knob of ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 scallions, roughly chopped
¼ cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups rice vinegar - unseasoned (I used EVOO+MCT)
½ cup toasted sesame oil
1 cup neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, etc.)
In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Store in air tight jar/container up to one week.
For the scallion slaw
Kogi Vinaigrette, to taste
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced into thin strips on the diagonal
½ cup thinly sliced green cabbage
½ cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
Pinch of kosher salt or coarse salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the Kogi Vinaigrette. Combine the scallions, cabbage, and lettuce in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add a few big spoonfuls of the Kogi Vinaigrette, and gently toss. Add more Kogi Vinaigrette as needed. The slaw should be generously dressed, with a small pool of dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
Vegetables
1 cup Kalbi Marinade, Kogi Vinaigrette, or a mixture of the two
2 lbs seasonal young vegetables (asparagus, carrots, baby bok choy, fennel, onion, gem lettuce, etc)
Trim the vegetables, and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. (They should all be roughly the same size so they cook at about the same rate.) Add the cut vegetables to a large bowl or pan, and gently toss them with the Kalbi Marinade, the Kogi Vinaigrette, or the Marinade-Vinaigrette mixture. Let the vegetables sit for 20 to 30 minutes while you heat the grill.
Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Let it heat up for 5 to 10 minutes, then brush or spray the grates with a high-heat oil (Roy recommends grapeseed).
Remove the vegetables from the Kalbi Marinade. Working in batches, grill them, turning once, until they’re charred all over, about 6 minutes on each side. When they’re done, the veggies should be slightly tender but not soft, with distinct char marks.
Chop the vegetables, top the tortillas, and finish with the slaw and spicy verde (or not).
After watching Roy Choi’s Master Class, I dove right in and made his “mother” sauces. The Kalbi marinade is so delicious, you truly can drink it! He does in the class and recommends adding Tequila! I actually may try that tonight…
Kalbi marinade usually has some combination of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a sweetener, but every restaurant (and Korean mom) has a different variation. Following Roy Choi’s recipe, I used kiwi and sugar to add sweetness, but you’ll find recipes that call for grated apple, honey, brown sugar, and even lemon-lime soda, a sneaky pantry substitute for fruit. Feel free to make substitutions in your own marinade—use apple cider vinegar in place of rice vinegar, and so on.
Use this Kalbi marinade for Korean beef bbq, grilled vegetables (chop afterwards for tacos - recipe to follow), chicken, whatever you want. It’s amazing. Go make it now and thank me after 15 minutes, because that’s all the time you need.
For an even spicier Salsa Verde, simply add 1-2 Serrano peppers. For an instant burst of flavor, use as a topping for tacos, bbq, refried beans, chicken, or as a dip for your tortilla chips.
