Korean Bibimbap

By / Food / February 4th, 2011 / 2

If a little mix of everything is what you are craving, then do I have a recipe for you. For years I have been inspired by Korean cooking. I love that it has tons of flavour; yet, each dish looks like it is so simple and effortless to put together. But I never thought of actually making it myself. I just wasn’t sure of which ingredients I’d need to stock up on and which recipes were truly authentic.

Then I discovered the bibimbap.

Granted, picking up the phone and ordering would be a lot easier than making this delicacy myself from scratch. But, I convinced myself that putting down the phone and picking up the pan would give me the ultimate satisfaction. My determination, however, did not solve the problem of finding the right recipe or ingredients. A little detective work was definitely in order. So, after several interviews with other Korean cuisine addicts, and tons of delicious and … um … painstaking research, I have put together, what I think, is the most traditional (and tasty) interpretation of this dish. Best of all, this recipe is simply a guideline. Go ahead, break free and mix in your own favourite vegetables and meat.

Korean Bibimbap

Bean sprouts
Spinach
4 shiitake mushrooms
1 carrot, julienned

1 egg, cooked over easy
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
Gochuchang Paste
Steamed white rice
Bulgogi, recipe follows

Bulgogi
1 lb rib eye
Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Place rib eye in freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice thinly (it’s easier to slice when partially frozen). Set aside.
2. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the thinly sliced beef and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour; it is best if marinated overnight.
3. Heat grill to high. Remove beef from marinade and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to compile Bibimbap.
4. Sauté the bean sprouts and spinach in a little sesame or peanut oil and season with salt.
5. Thinly slice the shiitake and sauté in peanut oil and a pinch of salt.
6. Put cooked rice in large slightly shallow bowl. Place bulgogi (with juices from cooked meat) and veggies on top of rice, but place separately so you can see each ingredient beautifully placed on rice.
7. Put egg on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce.

When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together with some gochuchang paste, to taste. The bibimpap should be moist and not dry. Add more sesame oil and gochuchang paste, to taste.

You may like to serve this dish with a light white or pale ale.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Looking at the small things that make life great and the people who create them.

Comments are closed.

North America’s Longest Running Food & Wine Magazine

Get Quench-ed!!!

Champion storytellers & proudly independent for over 50 years. Free Weekly newsletter & full digital access