Korean Beef Tacos with cabbage and kohlrabi slaw

Would you like something to fill those homemade corn tortillas with? I have the perfect, easy slow cooker recipe for you!

I know you still might be thinking that making your own tortillas is too much work and not worth the trouble. Or maybe you think it's a weekend project and not something you could do on a weeknight. This recipe will take care of itself after throwing the ingredients in your slow cooker and slicing a couple veggies so that all you have to worry about is the 20 minutes it will take you to cook up your tortillas. 

You'll be rewarded with soft, warm tortillas topped with savory, melt-in-your-mouth beef and some bright, crunchy quick-pickled veggies. An impressive meal for any night of the week!

Korean Beef Tacos

For the cabbage & kohlrabi slaw:
2 cups cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the beef:

3lb beef shank, or short ribs

1 Tbsp canola oil

10oz bottle lower sodium soy sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup sake

2 scallions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, minced (discard the thick outer leaves)

2 Tbsp sriracha

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

For the finished tacos:

tortillas

fresh cilantro

extra sriracha

1. For the slaw: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add the sliced cabbage, kohlrabi and red onions and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, tossing a couple times. Can be made the day before.

2. For the beef: In a large pan (or if you have a slow cooker bowl designed to go over direct heat, use that) heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden brown and set aside on a plate. 

3. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the beef to the bowl of the slow cooker and mix well. Add the beef and submerge in the liquid. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is fall apart tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred or break into chunks, reserving some of the cooking liquid, skimming the fat, to drizzle on the final tacos if desired. 

4. Pile the beef on the tortillas, drizzle on a bit of the reserved cooking liquid, top with the cabbage and kohlrabi slaw, cilantro and sriracha if desired. Enjoy!