Bibimbap 2.0

*Post by Angela.

My feelings about Korean food have quickly turned from love affair to dangerous obsession - I now crave it not just for lunch every single day, but for dinner, too. And while he's just mildly fond of it, I've attempted to co-opt Mark with assurances that it's much better for him than whatever else he's looking to eat. Which is how we wound up spending an evening prepping the gorgous platter of toppings below for a night of bi bim bap. It's a surprisingly time-consuming process because of the variety of ingredients involved, but well worth the time.

 

List of ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 medium-sized ribeye steak, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp + 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 7 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 2" long sticks
• salt
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 cups packed spinach leaves
• 1 cup daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2" long sticks
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup carrot shreds
• 2 fried eggs
• Sriracha sauce

I love me some white rice, but decided to go with brown rice this time, to add a little fiber oomph. I started cooking the rice according to the package: combine 1 cup of brown rice, 2 cups water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed). I tossed the cut zucchini sticks with a tsp of salt, then threw them in a colander to drain for 10 minutes. I also mixed together 12 tsp (or 4 tbsp) of soy sauce, 3 tsp sesame oil, and 6 tsp (2 tbsp) brown sugar, then tossed in the beef to marinate.

 

I mixed together the red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp seasame oil, and a pinch of salt, then added the daikon sticks and set them aside. I've never used daikon radish at home before, but I could not stop snacking on it throughout the evening - so refreshingly crisp and sweet, and the marinade added the (always necesssary) heat.

I went back to the zucchini, rinsing it clean of the salt and then patting it dry. I heated a pan with 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp garlic over medium heat, cooked 30 seconds, then added the zucchini with a 1/4 tsp sugar. I sauteed the zucchini for about 2 minutes, until just tender-crisp, and then set it aside.

Using the same pan, I repeated the process, heating another tsp of sesame oil and 1/2 tsp garlic over medium heat, and cooking about 30 seconds. I added the shiitake slices with a pinch of salt and about 1/2 tsp soy sauce, cooked for about 2 minutes, and then set the 'shrooms alongside the zucchini to wait. Mark doesn't like mushrooms, so I was excited that I'd get all of them to myself - shiitakes are my favorite.

  

Next, I brought a pot of water up to a boil, tossed in the bean sprouts and cooked just 30 seconds, then used a slotted spoon to remove them to a bowl, where I tossed them with 1/2 tsp sesame oil and a pinch of salt. They were added to the platter.

I brought the water in the pot back up to a boil, then added the spinach, cooking just 30 seconds. I removed the spinach leaves to a colander, where I rinsed it in cold water and drained it (sqeezing out the extra moisture). Then I tossed it with a little salt and 1 tsp sesame oil. Finally, I brought a pan up to medium high heat with a tsp of vegetable oil and cooked the marinaded strips of ribeye for about 3-4 minutes. Somewhere in there, I also fried up two eggs.

  

I spooned the cooked rice into a bowl, added the daikon, zucchini, shiitakes, bean sprouts, spinach, carrots and beef, topped it off with a runny fried egg, squirted some sriracha sauce in there, and sat down to mix it all together and enjoy. Delicious, chock-full of vegetables, and filling. I especially loved the flavor of the meat - salty and sweet. Another win for Korean (-inspired) cuisine.

Comments

[KrisDub]

yay! well done! now to get our stone pots for dolsot bibimbap!

[Angela]

For sure. I can't wait!

[W. Mark Felt]

I will definitely be making this soon. Other folks love the kimchee and Bolgoki (sp?!), but Bi-bim-bap is my favorite Korean dish.

[Angela]

It's so healthy-like, right? Delicious. I just wish it didn't take so long to make all the ingredients - but if I cook a ton of them, I can have bi-bim-bap two nights in a row.

[Jake Olson]

This looks amazing. I was drawn in (via Twitter) by your mention of Daikon Radishes, sounds like a great use for them. We found them at the veggie stand and have been loooking for ways to use them. This is how we made a simple salad with them for lunch today. http://ow.ly/49FY0

[Angela]

Jake-

That looks great! I love the sweetness and refreshingness (is that a word?) of daikon. And I love your unique blog!