Bulgogi Beef and Cheese Tamales (Korean x Mexican)

Method

1. Soak the corn husks in very hot water, weighed down with a plate, for at least 30 minutes. Cut the thin beef into 3 cm pieces and massage it with the soy sauce, brown sugar, grated pear, garlic, half the sesame oil and pepper; marinate for 20 min.

   Add in this stepDried corn husks (with spares) 9Beef sirloin, very thinly sliced 200 gSoy sauce 2 tbspBrown sugar 1 tbspAsian pear, grated 40 gGarlic, minced 2Toasted sesame oil 1 tspBlack pepper 1 pinch

2. Heat the oil in a 24 cm pan on medium-high heat, add the onion and marinated beef and stir-fry for 5 min, until there is no pink and the juices have almost completely cooked off; a wet filling makes soggy tamales. Off the heat, chop the beef finely on a board, mix in the kimchi and half the scallions, and let it cool.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tspOnion, thinly sliced ½Well-fermented cabbage kimchi, squeezed and chopped 60 gScallions, sliced 1

   medium-high heat

3. Beat the lard with the remaining sesame oil for 1 minute until white. Mix the masa harina, baking powder and salt and add it alternately with the warm stock, beating for 4 min more until soft like thick hummus. It is ready when a pea-sized piece floats in cold water.

   Add in this stepLard (or vegetable shortening) 80 gToasted sesame oil 1 tspMasa harina (corn flour for tamales) 220 gBaking powder ½ tspSalt (masa) ¾ tspChicken stock, warm 300 ml

4. Pat the husks dry and spread about 3 tablespoons of masa 5 mm thick over the wide upper part, leaving 5 cm at the bottom. Put 1 tablespoon of bulgogi and two or three mozzarella cubes in the middle, fold the sides over each other and fold the tail up. Make 6 tamales.

   Add in this stepMozzarella, in 1 cm cubes 60 g

5. Pour water into a 20 cm steamer pot, line the rack with husks and stand the tamales in it, open end up. Cover with more husks and a damp cloth, put the lid on and steam on medium heat for 1 h, topping up with boiling water every 20 minutes. They are done when the husk peels cleanly from the masa.

   medium heat

6. Turn off the heat and let them rest for 10 min, then peel back the husks halfway and sprinkle with the remaining scallions and sesame seeds.

   Add in this stepScallions, sliced 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp