DJ Omineater is Taking Requests

"You Can't Be a Revolutionary if You Don't Eat Chilies."

- Chairman Mao

Once again, Omnieater is responding to requests. Who knew that kim-chi quesadillas had such a following?  I have cooked the adapted recipe from Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ, but I think he didn’t give us the “real” recipe – that, I assume, is a state secret.  So in absence of having any FBI contacts to steal the recipe from him, I had to do some culinary sleuthing.  The recipe I devised, I think, is just as good, if not better, than Kogi’s.   But I can’t recreate the experience of driving endlessly through LA looking for the Kogi truck. That should be reserved for your next trip to LA.

           

Kim-Chi Quesadillas

            There are some ingredients here that are a bit more obscure.  You can find almost all of them at Asian grocery stores, preferably, Korean ones.  However, if you are near an H-Mart (East Coast) or a Ranch 99 (West Coast), you should be able to find all of the ingredients there, including pre-made jars of kim-chi.  If you really want to go crazy, try the kim-chi recipe found previously on this blog (click here).   If you are not a spice-fiend, I recommend a glass of milk – helps with the spiciness.

6 slices of bacon

2 c. of cabbage kim-chi, drained well and chopped

8 perilla/shiso leaves or 1 bunch fresh cilantro

4 large flour tortillas

1/4 c. of toasted sesame seeds

1 c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 c. Monterey Jack, grated

vegetable oil for brushing

Dipping Sauce (warning – HOT!)

1/3 c. of gochujang (Korean chili paste)

1-2 tsp. sugar

3 tbs. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 scallions, chopped finely

2 tbs. toasted sesame seeds

additional water

1.     Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Fry bacon until crisp, reserve bacon for another use.  Sauté kim-chi in bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until kim-chi is golden brown on the edges, about 6 minutes.  Cool while making dipping sauce.

2.     In a small bowl, combine gochujang, 1 tsp. sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds.  Add enough water to make into a thin sauce.  Taste and add more sugar if necessary.

3.     Combine cheeses together into a small bowl.

4.     Place 2 perilla/shiso leaves (or 1/4 bunch of cilantro, stems removed) into half of tortilla.  Place 1/4 of the sautéed kim-chi, 1 tbs. of sesame seeds,  1/2 cup of cheese mixture, and fold tortilla in half.

5.     Brush a non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and heat until just about smoking, and grill filled tortillas, 2 minutes on each side, turning once.   Repeat until all tortillas are toasted, and the cheese is melted.  Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side.

Note: Perilla or shiso leaves (they look and taste like large mint leaves) and gochujang can be found at Korean or Asian grocery stores.