One of my favorite restaurants in Germany was a little Korean place my mom would take us too. I loved the food and I thought it wasn’t something I would ever be able to recreate at home. Flash forward to my college years and in an introductory cooking class, we made a Korean beef bulgogi recipe. I was so amazed at how delicious and easy the recipe was. I’ve made many versions of Korean beef bulgogi since then, but this one is by far my favorite.

This recipe does have a unique ingredient in it. A quick story. When I had my second baby, I was so excited to make homemade baby food. A good friend gave me tons of pears from her tree and I carefully cooked, pureed and froze them into individual portions. Well, unlike my son, my little girl refused to eat pureed food. She went straight to table food. So I was left with a bunch of pureed pears (which were delicious by the way!). Many bulgogi recipes call for pureed pear so I started using the baby food in my recipes. Now that I no longer have any of that baby food left, I still like to buy a couple of jars of pureed pears every now and then to use in this recipe. You can also substitute a fresh pear pureed in a food processor if you prefer 🙂

Anyhow, back to the important part-the beef. In order to make beef bulgogi, you want a tender prime cut of meat. I like to use ribeye steaks. The grass-fed ribeye steaks from Jones Creek beef were so tender and had a great marbling and fat content. I could tell a difference in the tenderness when I was slicing them. Besides the meat tasting way better, it also has tons of added benefits- lower in total fat, and higher in B vitamins and minerals to name a few. You can check out all of the benefits on their website. You can purchase Jones Creek beef at your local Walmart. If you’ve never had beef bulgogi and you’re wondering what it taste like, it’s probably best described as being savory but also sweet.  My two kids really enjoy the flavors and gobble it up over rice. After I made the bulgogi, my husband commented on how tender the meat was. I have to agree that the meat was super tender.

My other favorite part of the meal from the Korean restaurant was the cucumber kimchi. I haven’t tried making my own kimchi at home , but these quick pickled cucumber and carrots only take a few minutes to put together and make the perfect side for the beef. Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s easier to make than kimchi. If you make the beef, I recommend you try the pickled cucumber with it.

Korean Beef Bulgogi

2 Jones Creek beef ribeyes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 jar pear baby food
3 green onions
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
4 garlic cloves, minced*

In a gallon ziplock bag, add the soy sauce, black pepper, pureed pear, chopped green onions, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and garlic. Seal the bag and mix together.  Slice the two ribeye steaks 1/4 inch thick against the grain. Add to the ziplock bag and allow to marinate for at least one hour but preferably overnight.  In a large frying pan, add the entire bag of meat and marinade. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the meat is to your desired doneness. I like to transfer the meat to a large serving bowl with all the sauce and then take a few pieces out and allow them to brown up a little more by themselves. This step is optional. The sauce tastes great spooned over the rice. Garnish with additional sesame seeds and green onion if desired.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers and Carrots

1 cucumber sliced (and peeled if desired)
3 garlic cloves, minced*
1 carrot shredded (My peeler has an attachment on the other side that shreds the carrots)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger*
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup water

In a pint mason jar, add the rice vinegar, salt, ginger, sugar, red pepper flakes and garlic and stir to combine. Add the cucumber and carrots pressing them down into the liquid. Add the water to just barely cover the cucumber and carrots. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with the beef bulgogi.

*Fresh ginger and garlic are a must for this recipe. I love to use powdered garlic in other recipes, but it won’t taste the same in this one. Buy a piece of ginger, peel off the outside skin and keep it in the freezer. Then you will always have it on hand and it’s SO much easier to grate frozen. I use a small hole hand held grater like this ONE. I also use that grater for my garlic rather then try to mince it.

Over the years I’ve modified the recipe and this is the version my family loves the most. I love it because the filling is made in the crockpot so I can start it in the morning and forget about it.  Right before dinner, I can quickly fill my tortillas and put them in the pan and work on a couple of sides while they bake. I love the green enchilada sauce, but both my kids and husband aren’t fans, so I actually bake most of the enchiladas without sauce, and just a few with the sauce. It’s a great compromise because everyone eats these up. I used to get complaints about not wanting enchiladas, but since I made this change the pan gets wiped out.  The other great thing about this recipe is it doubles very easily.  If you are needing to bring a filling meal to someone who just had a baby, who is sick , or just needs a nice home cooked meal, this is a great option. Just leave the sauce on the side so they can add it when they choose to bake it up.  I love to serve the enchiladas with guacamole or sliced avocado, a side of corn and rice, or a nice green salad.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

1 large boneless/skinless chicken breast (or two smaller ones) about 1 pound total
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 oz Neufachatel cream cheese
1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce (I love the Las Palmas brand)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
10 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey cheese (or cheddar)
*Optional- 1 can diced green chiles

Place chicken in crockpot, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper and add the chicken broth around the chicken (so as not to wash the seasonings off the chicken). Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-6, until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. I know my chicken is ready when I can gently push on it and it starts to fall apart.

Preheat your oven to 350. Leaving the chicken in the crockpot, carefully tilt the lid and drain the broth into a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup (you can throw away the rest or maybe save it for some soup!)

To the crockpot add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, your 1/4 cup reserved chicken broth, the cream cheese and the black beans (and the can of diced green chiles if you desire more of a kick, I leave these out for my kids).

Stir everything together until well mixed. The chicken should be hot enough that the cream cheese just melts and stirs in easily. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of the filling down the center of the tortilla and a few tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Cover with additional cheese and the remaining green enchilada sauce (if desired). Bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted. Alternately, cover the pan of enchiladas with foil, and refrigerate. When ready to eat, bake at 350 for 1 hour covered.