Simple Seoul Bibimbap Recipes

BIBIMBAP (KOREAN RICE WITH MIXED VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Stir cucumber pieces with 1/4 cup gochujang paste in a bowl; set aside.
• Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a large nonstick skillet and stir in spinach; cook until spinach is bright green and wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible; set spinach aside in a bowl and stir soy sauce into spinach.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet and cook and stir carrots until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir in cucumber pieces with gochujang paste; sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and set the mixture aside in a bowl.
• Brown beef in a clean nonstick skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, and set aside. In a separate nonstick skillet, heat 1 more teaspoon olive oil over medium-low heat and fry the eggs just on one side until yolks are runny but whites are firm, 2 to 4 minutes each.
• To assemble the dish, divide cooked rice into 4 large serving bowls; top with spinach mixture, a few pieces of beef, and cucumber mixture. Place 1 egg atop each serving. Drizzle each bowl with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a small amount of gochujang paste if desired.

SIMPLE SEOUL BIBIMBAP

Steps:

• Prepare the beef: Freeze the beef 30 minutes, then slice paper-thin. Whisk the brown sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, onion, applesauce, vegetable oil, soy sauce and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the beef and stir to coat; cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 4 dolsot stone bowls or two 10-to-12-inch cast-iron skillets in the oven to preheat, 30 minutes.
• Cook the beef: Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade and shake off the excess. Add the beef to the pan (you may have to do this in batches-be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the beef will steam). Cook without moving the meat, about 2 to 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook 1 more minute. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
• Cook the veggies: Combine 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the carrots in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing, until the carrots are slightly tender but still crisp, just under 1 minute. Transfer to a large plate in a pile, leaving space for the other ingredients. Add 1 more tablespoon vegetable oil to the same pan; add the mushrooms and cook until they wilt and begin to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to the plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the spinach to the pan. Cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 minute, then add the vinegar and cook until completely evaporated, about 30 seconds. Place the spinach on the plate with the rest of the vegetables.
• Assemble the bibimbap: Mix the gochujang with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; set aside. Remove the preheated bowls or skillets from the oven to a heat-safe surface, like a wooden cutting board. Add equal amounts of hot rice to each pot. (The rice must be piping hot in order to cook the egg yolk when you stir it in.) Add equal amounts of the remaining ingredients to each bowl or skillet in piles, clockwise in order: beef, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, scallions, bean sprouts and kimchi. Drop a dollop of the gochujang mixture in the center of each bowl or skillet, then drop the egg yolks right on top of it (1 yolk per individual bowl or 2 yolks per skillet). Serve immediately, while the rice is still sizzling, and stir to combine all of the ingredients before eating.

EASY BIBIMBAP

Steps:

• Put the steak into a bowl and add the soy sauce.
• Boil the rice following packet instructions. Meanwhile heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan or wok then add the steak, leaving the soy sauce behind in the bowl. Fry quickly at a high temperature until well browned on the outside, put it onto a board and cover with foil to rest. Now fry the carrots in the same pan, stir frying for 2-3 mins until starting to soften then transfer to a plate. Next add the spinach and fry until just wilted (about a minute). Finally fry the eggs, adding a little extra oil if the pan is dry.
• When the rice is cooked, drain and pile into 2 bowls. Slice the steak then put it on top of the rice. Next to that add a clump of the cooked carrots, then the spinach and finally the ginger. Scatter the sesame seeds over the top. Stir all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and serve alongside the rice. The best way to eat it is to dollop on a good serving of the sauce, break into the egg and stir everything together so the sauce and the runny egg yolk get deliciously mixed up with all the vegetables and steak.