Bibimbap

Bibimbap

It is just so much fun to say

Actually it is fun to say loudly

BIBIMBAP!

We actually call it Bim Bim Bap!  Not exactly sure how that started but it is one of those silly family things

You might be asking what is Bibimbap?

It is a Korean dish that literally translates into “Rice mix”

There are a ton of variations but the bottom line is meat and veggies mixed in with rice and for the best part, it is topped with a fried egg

I mean this is serious yum going on

We had this in a Korean restaurant and loved it so much we knew we had to recreate this one at home

There are many components to this dish as there are with most Asian style foods so I’m going to break this up into steps

Let’s start with the beef

Since it is a Korean dish I’m going to use a skirt steak and treat it like Bulgogi which is traditional Korean beef

I’m starting with 1 pound of skirt steak

A special note about skirt steak is that the grain of meat runs from top to bottom instead of along the length

You will need to keep this in mind when it is time to cut it

Now let’s work on the marinade

We used 1 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil

Place all of these ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined

Place the meat in a resealable bag and pour in your marinade

Force the air out of the bag and marinate overnight or up to two days

Strain the marinade from the meat into a pot and bring to a simmer

Allow this to cook down by half

Remove from the heat and set aside

Let the meat come to room temperature

While that’s happening, let’s move on

Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil and add in 2 cups of Jasmine rice

Cover and cook over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy, around 20 minutes

Let’s start working on some veggies

I have 10 ounces of mushrooms and have removed the stems (save the stems for tomorrow mornings omelette)

Slice them super thin

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the mushrooms for 6-8 minutes

Remove from the heat and set aside

Next we will need one large peeled carrot and 8 ounces of fresh spinach

Shred the carrot into thin strips and cut the spinach thinly as well

I’m also using around 8 ounces of bean sprouts

There is a great spicy sauce that is served with Bibimbap

You will need 2 tablespoons of Korean red chili paste (Gochujang), 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil,  1 garlic clove grated and 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds

Add all these into a bowl and whisk to combine

Preheat your grill to 400 F

Place your skirt steak down and cook 5 -6 minutes

Flip and cook another 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness

Cook to 150 F for medium

Set the steak aside and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting

Let’s discuss the grain of the meat again

The natural shape of a skirt steak has the grain running straight up and down

So if you cut it as is, you will be cutting with the grain and the meat will be tough and chewy

I cut the steak into smaller pieces

Turn the meat sideways so the grain runs right to left

Now cut down the side of the meat, against the grain for tender delicious steak

Drizzle the steak with some of the cooked down marinade

Now for the final piece of this delicious puzzle

The eggs

I’m using 4 farm fresh eggs, for 4 servings

For demo purposes I’m using just 1 to start off with

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a non stick pan until bubbling

Carefully crack in your egg

I’m doing these sunny side up

So when the white starts to set, use the tip of the spatula to carefully break the albumen sac (the thicker part of the egg white)

This will help the egg cook more evenly

Using a teaspoon scoop hot butter over the top of the yolk to help with the cooking process

It’s perfectly fine for the edges of the egg to get a little browned and crispy

It’s the sign of a good sunny side up egg!

So the way you serve this (or at least how I have been served this) is to place the egg in a plate and surround it with the beef, carrots, spinach, mushrooms and bean sprouts

With a side of rice and the hot sauce

This would be considered a single serving

This also makes it a fun way to eat as everyone gets to pick what they like to add to their rice

To eat this, simply add your meat and veggies to the rice, top them with your egg and hot sauce

Cut the egg open and mix everyone up!

Yum!  Crazy flavor here!!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Simply Bamboo Cutting Board

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set

Royal Classique Measuring Cups

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

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