Korean Beef Burritos with Kimchi Rice and Gochujang Aioli
Mexico meets Korea in Chef Michelle's latest culinary mashup, inspired by the beloved Korean beef tacos from a past menu. Warm flour tortillas are stuffed to the seams with beef, onion, spinach, and carrots sautéed in a sesame-laced soy sauce. Fluffy rice gets tossed with cabbage kimchi, a Korean specialty that adds zingy crunch and creates the perfect flavor match for creamy gochujang aioli.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups white rice
- 2 ounces baby spinach
- 1 yellow onion
- 1.5 ounces mayonnaise
- 1.5 tablespoons gochujang
- 3/4 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 1/4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 flour tortillas
- 1 cups kimchi
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Allow tortillas to soften at room temperature, so they’re pliable and easier to roll in Step 5. In a small pot, combine rice, 1.25 cups water, and .5 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir once, reduce heat to medium low, cover pot, and simmer for 18 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, then cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
- Rinse spinach and pat dry with paper towel, to keep excess moisture out of your burritos. Peel onions, halve, and thinly slice. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and up to 1 tablespoon gochujang (or use just 1.5 teaspoons for less heat).
- Pat beef dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add onions and sauté, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add beef to pan and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper as desired. Cook, breaking up, until meat is browned and onions are very soft, about 5 minutes more.
- Push beef and onions to outer edges of pan, keeping over medium-high heat. In center of pan, add sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and remaining gochujang (use less or omit entirely if dining with spice-averse companions). Stir until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots and spinach until spinach is wilted and everything is fully coated with sauce, 1-2 minutes more. Season with .25 teaspoon salt and remove pan from heat.
- Lay tortillas on a clean, dry surface. Place .25 cup rice in a horizontal line on each tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border on both ends, and reserve remaining rice in covered pot. Using a slotted spoon, pile filling on top of rice (see Recipe Tip). Top each with .25 cup kimchi. Fold in sides, then roll up tightly away from you to seal.
- Arrange burritos seam-side down on a baking sheet, spacing apart as much as possible. Place in oven to warm through and lightly toast, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix remaining kimchi into remaining rice, if desired, or enjoy them separately. Halve Korean beef burritos on a diagonal and serve with kimchi rice and gochujang aioli for dipping. Dig in!