Brunch, Cooking, Spice

Brunch: Gojuchang Beef Meatballs, Tortillas, Egg

Gojuchang Meatballs on Tortillas with a Fried Egg. Because, JOY.

Fusion for many is a dirty word, because it is often done so badly. But most days are a fusion day for me as I combine my favourite ingredients to make breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Working from home is not the dream, anyone who works from home full time will agree. That will surprise some of who who resent your office chains (I was one for a long time). Working from home can be lonely, it can be intense, and it can be distracting. Working days are longer than ever before. But it does have its advantages. One is that your meals are made at your own pace while you are doing other things, and lunch can be completely awesome.

I love eggs, you know that. It is a well established thing. Things in sauce and meatballs too. Vague, maybe. But all those things together usually spell C.O.M.F.O.R.T. for me. My pantry (shelves in my living room full of random things) overflow with goodness: spices, chilli pastes, every random thing you might imagine and lots of quirky stuff from my travels. A lucky bag dip here will reveal a lovely and exciting meal.

What I look for for brunch: something deep, usually fermented (here, gojuchang, Korean fermented red pepper paste); an egg (check!); something to drag through my runny egg yolk (crisp corn tortilla, check!); and then something of substance, not always meat. This morning it was minced beef, proper minced beef with 20% fat, essential for flavour and moisture. Low fat minced beef dries out and becomes crumbly.

The sauce here is speedy and fruity and packed full of goodness. I adore a tomato sauce, the red pepper gives it a lovely lift, and the oregano takes you to the hills somewhere.

Inspired by this? You will love: baked avocado with quail egg and sobrassada recipe, ‘nduja ragu with eggs, Louisiana crab cakes with poached eggs and tabasco hollandaise.

Gojuchang Beef Meatballs in Tomato & Pepper Sauce with Corn Tortillas and a Fried Egg

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Gojuchang Beef Meatballs in Tomato & Pepper Sauce with Corn Tortillas and a Fried Egg

Ingredients

Gojuchang beef meatballs

450g minced beef (with 20% fat)
50g breadcrumbs, just covered with milk, and allowed to sit for 10 minutes
2 tbsp gojuchang (Korean red pepper paste)

Tomato & pepper sauce

500g fresh tomatoes (peeled, if large, worth the effort I promise!)
1 red pepper, stem and seeds removed
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves and more for garnish
1 tbsp worcester sauce

to serve, per person (will make enough for 2 hungry people)

2 corn tortillas
1 good egg
a sprinkle of gochugaru (Korean red pepper) or mild red chilli of your choice
light oil for frying (rapeseed or groundnut for example)
sea salt and pepper to season

Instructions

First make your meatballs. Combine the breadcrumbs already soaked in milk (they should be just soft breadcrumbs with no excess milk, just add the breadcrumbs if there is still milk), the beef and the gojuchang. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper and fry off a little bit to taste it. Adjust if required. Shape into ping pong sized balls and leave covered in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.

Now for the sauce. I use the food processor for speed and simplicity. It is morning after all. First of all blitz your garlic in the food processor (or chop it fine), then add the pepper and tomatoes and worcester sauce. And blitz again until well combined.

Heat a tablespoon of oil and add the sauce mixture. Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In a separate pan fry the meatballs in batches (don't crowd them) until browned. Add to the sauce and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the oregano at the end.

Soften your tortillas in a couple of tablespoons of oil or in a dry pan if you want to use less oil (the oil slightly crisps them which I like). Leave to the side.

Fry your egg to your liking. Serve the tortillas with the meatballs on top, and the fried egg on top of that, garnished with oregano and your chilli pepper / gochugaru.

Enjoy!

https://eatlikeagirl.com/gojuchang-meatballs-on-tortillas-with-a-fried-egg-and-tomato-red-pepper-sauce-brunch-recipe/