One of the things I most love about American cooking is how diverse it is, and how open people are to trying new things and making them their own. Where would American food be without the influx of immigrants who brought pizza, tacos, souvlaki, Peking duck, lemongrass soup and samosas to our shores?It sometimes takes a little adaptation and experimentation to bridge the cultural gap and render a dish from another country more pleasing to the American palate, and that’s what I want to do here with this basic recipe for Bibimbap, a classic Korean dish.
This is healthy, hot meal of vegetables, beef, and chilis, served on a bed of rice, soused with various condiments, and garnished with a fried egg. Everyone can adjust the seasonings to their individual tastes, so it’s impossible not to like it. You may not be a fan of kimchee, the fiery pickled cabbage that is probably Korea’s best known food, so leave it off and load up on extra bean sprouts or grilled beef. I don’t love the dried seaweed garnish, so I ignore it. It is often made in a hot iron or stone bowl, which gives the rice at the bottom a crunchy, toasted taste that is delicious.
Bibimbap is a great family meal, which developed out of an ancient Korean rite that involved offering different foods to their ancestors, then mixing them together and eating them. I hope you’ll give this a try. It makes a beautiful presentation, with all the colorful, healthy veggies and meat and eggs. Geonbae!
KOREAN BIBIMBAP
Korean Rice mixed with Meat and Vegetables
Serves: 4
Prep time: 1 ½ hours
For the beef:
Ingredients
- 1 pound ribeye beef, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Mix all ingredients and marinate for at least one hour – overnight is best.
- Grill or sauté in a large frypan until golden brown.
For the rice:
Ingredients
- 1 cup sushi or white jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups cold water
Directions
- Rinse rice, put in a 2-quarte saucepan and add water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- When water is absorbed by rice, turn heat to low and cover until rice is soft.
- Set aside.
For the vegetables:
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, julienned
- 1 pound of sprouted mung beans
- 2 medium sized carrots, julienned
- 10 caps of shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of spinach
- 2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Saute vegetables separately with 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add salt as desired.
- Set aside.
For the eggs:
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, cooked over easy
For the sauce:
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of gochujang (a Korean condiment available at Asian stores) OR 2 tablespoons of chile sauce
- ½ teaspoons of minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Directions
- Mix all ingredients together
- Put a cup of steamed rice in a bowl. (If you have a metal or stone bowl to preheat, it will make the rice extra crunchy underneath.)
- Add vegetables and meat.
- Top with an egg.
- Add a teaspoon of the sauce, or more to taste.
- Mix together and enjoy!
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