Wednesday 1 August 2012

TACOS GET JAZZED UP

With the wild success of last month's Jazz Nursery behind us, tomorrow holds the next in the series and some new culinary ventures to boot: Korean Tacos!

Not my own idea, I must admit. I have stolen it from the famed Korean taco trucks that roam the streets of LA. It's not been easy to try them out - while some people are obsessing over "50 Shades of Grey", boyfriend Matt appears to prefer my Korean cookery book and refuses to return it to me, resorting to sending photos of select pages to placate me. Thankfully my new techni-capable phone means I can now carry these precious recipes everywhere I go! Hooray!

Indeed last week he hosted a small soiree where he revealed a new favourite - barbecued pork rib in chilli sauce. This treat was excessively spicy and yet through the tears of agony our taste buds were screaming with frazzled joy! Last night I made my own attempt at it and triumph was ours for a second innings. This time it was a little less spicy because my sister and I, she is staying through the trials of the Olympics, are delicate creatures who have been known to cry at the furor of an extra strong mint.

Herein lies the recipe for the sticky saucy pork which will be one of the taco fillings tomorrow night at Arch 61 Ewer Street, SE1 0NR. Also on the menu will be - Korean Chicken/Pork/Mackerel
with pear salsa, kimchi fried rice and special slaw. So come down, doors 7.30 listen to some amazing music from 8 and guzzle some tacos ALL NIGHT LONG.




INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

500g pork shoulder cut into slithers (the original recipe uses 1kg ribs, which you cut the meat off before marinading, this seems unnecessarily labour-intensive and costly to me)
4 tbsp gojochang paste
1 tsp Korean chilli powder (the original recipe suggests 4 tbsps, which I think is insane)
2 tbsps mirin
4 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps light soy sauce
1/2 white onion, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsps grated fresh ginger
3 tbsps maple syrup
2tbsps sesame oil
salt and pepper
sesame seeds to garnish

First make the marinade by mixing everything together, add the meat and coat thoroughly in the mixture. Place it in the refrigerator and leave to marinate for at least 3 hours.

Heat a frying pan over a medium - low heat and cook the pork for about 20 minutes. If you do choose to use the rib meat you should cook it for longer as it is a little fattier.

Just before you serve it sprinkle it with sesame seeds to garnish. Tadaaa, see you tomorrow. Doors at 7.30