Gochujang beef with red pepper sauce

I was sick of meal planning, so I bought things I generally like and just threw them together with no plan. This was DELICIOUS. The picture doesn't make it look great, I know, lol.

I dictated my process into ChatGPT and it spit out a very accurate recipe! Thought I'd share.

Creamy Gochujang Beef with Stewed Tomato & Pepper Sauce

A rich, deeply flavorful keto dish born from a spontaneous fridge dive and finished with garden-fresh cilantro and silky avocado.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2 red bell peppers, diced

½ large white onion, diced

4 small vine-on tomatoes, left whole

2 tbsp gochujang seasoning (adjust to taste)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp butter

1 splash heavy cream (roughly 1–2 tbsp)

Salt, to taste

1 ripe avocado, sliced (for topping)

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Brown the Beef:
   In a large wok over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. Once cooked, remove the beef to a bowl and salt it while resting, leaving the rendered fat in the wok.

2. Sauté the Veggies:
   Add onion to the beef fat and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and stir briefly. Then add the red peppers and sauté until they begin to soften.

3. Stew the Tomatoes:
   Place whole, vine-on tomatoes directly on top of the veggie mixture. Let them stew untouched until they soften enough to press open slightly. Remove the vines, flip the tomatoes, and continue cooking until they can be easily smashed with your spatula.

4. Blend the Base:
   Smash the tomatoes into the mixture and stir well. Once everything is softened and juicy, use an immersion blender to blend briefly—just enough to create a thick, cohesive sauce (not fully pureed).

5. Enrich the Sauce:
   Add a small splash of heavy cream and stir gently. Then slowly melt in the butter, stirring to incorporate until glossy and slightly thickened.

6. Bring Back the Beef:
   Return the browned beef to the wok, stir to combine, and let it cook together for a few more minutes.

7. Serve:
   Spoon into bowls and top with sliced avocado and a generous handful of fresh cilantro.

If it still tastes a bit too tangy, add more salt. This combined with simmering will balance and deepen the flavors!