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Mexico, Camping · Campfire Skillet Nachos

Kimchi Bulgogi Campfire Nachos

Sweet-savoury bulgogi beef, stir-fried kimchi and stretchy mozzarella on tortilla chips, melted over the fire and drizzled with gochujang mayo: Korean-Mexican nachos.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time35 min
Marinating the bulgogi+ 15 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Cut the beef into 3 cm lengths, put it in a zip bag with the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil and pepper, squeeze to mix and marinate in the cooler for at least 15 minutes. Put the mayonnaise, gochujang, honey and rice vinegar in a small zip bag and squeeze until blended: that is the gochujang mayo. Squeeze the kimchi juice out firmly and cut the kimchi into 1 cm strips; thinly slice the spring onions and chili. Have the fire burned down to red coals.

    Add in this stepThinly sliced beef for bulgogi (sirloin or chuck) 160 gSoy sauce 1½ tbspBrown sugar (or white sugar) 2 tspMinced garlic 1 tspToasted sesame oil 2 tspGround black pepper 1 pinchMayonnaise 3 tbspGochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tspHoney 1 tspRice vinegar 1 tsp

  2. Heat a 25 cm cast-iron skillet on the grate over charcoal (medium heat) for 2 minutes, add the oil and spread the bulgogi in a single layer. Stir-fry for , until no pink remains and the marinade has reduced to a glossy glaze on the meat, then tip it onto a plate.

    Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tsp

    charcoal (medium heat)
  3. Add the kimchi to the same skillet and stir-fry over charcoal (medium heat) for , until it has soaked up the leftover bulgogi juices and the edges are lightly caramelised. Set it aside and wipe the skillet once with paper towel.

    Add in this stepWell-fermented napa cabbage kimchi 100 g

    charcoal (medium heat)
  4. Spread half the chips in the skillet and scatter over half the mozzarella and cheddar, half the bulgogi and half the kimchi. Repeat once more in the same order and cover the top with the remaining cheese.

    Add in this stepThick tortilla chips 120 gMozzarella, grated 80 gCheddar, grated 40 g

  5. Cover the skillet tightly with foil and set it at the edge of the grate, over charcoal (medium heat) but out of direct flames, for . Turn it halfway round midway; when the mozzarella has fully melted and stretches and the edges bubble, lift it with gloves onto a wooden board.

    charcoal (medium heat)
  6. Snip a small corner off the gochujang mayo bag and pipe it over the nachos in a zigzag. Scatter with spring onions, chili and sesame seeds and eat straight from the skillet.

    Add in this stepSpring onions (scallions) 2Green chili 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

Cook's tip

Unsqueezed kimchi juice makes the chips soggy. Sour, well-aged kimchi gives the deepest flavour; if it is very sour, add a pinch of sugar while frying it. Ground beef with the same marinade works instead of sliced beef.

Cooking it at camp

Marinate the bulgogi at home and freeze it flat in its zip bag: it doubles as an ice pack and is thawed just right by the time you arrive. On a camp stove, fry the beef and kimchi over medium-high heat and melt the cheese over low heat with a lid. Wrap the kimchi container in an extra bag so the smell stays put.