My Version of Bibimbop

I was never into Korean cuisines and never dared to cook and create a version of a popular Korean dish, until a good friend shared that Bibimbop or Bibimbap is one of his favorite dish. Bibimbap as its Korean name, is one of the top 5 Korean comfort food. The name of dish literally translates to “mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables.”  Thus, from the rich ingredients it is not only satisfying and filling, but also healthy and nutritious.

In my version of Bibimbap, I took inspiration from Japanese bento’s food colors, which are red and yellow to stimulate appetite, green, orange and brown for contrast, and then tones like white and black for depth to make other colors pop out. These colors, together with black and white, do make food attractive not only to a child but also to adults.

I hope this recipe convey my gratitude for introducing me to Korean cuisine. Here goes my version:

Bibimbap – with Ground Beef

The recipe yields 3- 4 servings.

Preparation Time:                         20 - 30 minutes

Cooking Time:                               20 - 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For Meat Toppings

100 grams                                      beef, ground

1 tablespoon                                  soy sauce

1 tablespoon                                  sesame oil,

1 teaspoon                                     brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon                                  garlic, minced

For Rice

2 cups                                             short-grained white rice

2 cups                                             water

For Sauce

2 tablespoons                                Gochujang

1 tablespoon                                  soy sauce or water

1 tablespoon                                  sesame oil

1 tablespoon                                  brown sugar

1 teaspoon                                     vinegar

1 teaspoon                                     garlic minced

1 tablespoon                                  sesame seeds, roasted

For Vegetables Toppings

120 grams                                      carrot, small

120 grams                                      zucchini

120 grams                                      seedless cucumber

100 grams                                      red bell pepper

150 grams                                      cabbage

150 grams                                      lettuce

300 grams                                      Mongo/Mung bean sprouts

2 - 4                                                eggs

                                                       cooking and sesame oils to cook

                                                       garlic, minced

                                                       sesame seeds, roasted

                                                       salt to season

Procedures:

1. Marinate beef. In an airtight container, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and garlic. Then, add and mix in the ground beef. Let it marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2. Cook rice. Check out previous recipe about cooking rice and/or watch out for the next food article, which will feature on how to cook rice using a rice cooker.

3. Prepare the Gochujang sauce. In a small bowl, mix and stir Gochujang, soy sauce or water, sesame oil, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and sesame seeds. Set aside.

4. Prepare vegetables. Peel and julienne the following vegetables: carrot, zucchini and seedless cucumber. Add pinch of salt to each, and let them sweat. Arrange together in a platter Cut the red bell pepper into halves, de-seed and julienne.

5. Cut off the hard stalk of cabbage and lettuce and slice 1-inch wide.

6. Cook the vegetables. In a 2-3 qt sauce pan or pot and over a medium-high heat, boil 4 cups of water, blanch separately the cabbage and lettuce for 30 seconds and drain, and set aside arrange on a platter.

7. Add a teaspoon of salt to boiling water and cook the Mongo or Mung beans sprouts for 15 minutes. Drain and place the sprout in a bowl, seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, minced garlic and teaspoon sesame oil, mix. Then, place the seasoned sprouts on a platter together with the blanched cabbage and lettuce.

8. In a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add cooking oil and sauté the carrots and seasoned with salt for 2 minutes. Then, set aside the carrots on the platter together with cabbage, lettuce and bean sprout. Do the same to red bell pepper.

9.  In the same pan, add additional cooking oil, sauté zucchini with minced garlic for 2 minutes or until soft. Then add a few drops of sesame oil for 30 seconds. Place it on a platter. Do the same with seedless cucumber.

10. Cook the beef. In the same pan over medium heat, add and heat cooking oil and brown the beef for 5 minutes until thoroughly cook. Set aside on the platter. Clean the pan.

11. Fry the eggs. In the same pan over medium-low heat, add cooking oil and fry the eggs until the white is firm but the yolks are still runny, or a sunny side-up type of fried egg.

12. Assemble the rice, meat and vegetables. In a large serving blow or individual bowls, place the freshly steamed rice or divide the cooked rice into 4 and place 1 portion on an individual bowls. Add the beef and the assorted vegetables around the bowls. Top the eggs on the center and rain lightly the Gochujang sauce on top. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and drizzle a little sesame oils.

NTS:

    Best serve hot.

   Serve with condiments of additional Gochujang sauce, sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds.

That is my version of Bibimbap. Please give it a try and share your thought and comment below. Feel free to share your own version f Bibimbap. Also post any corrections, suggestions and violent reactions, as it will definitely help and inspire create better content. Thank you so much.

As always enjoy sweet, hot and spicy Korean comfort food!

Thank you Alex!

Reference and Inspired by:

1. Alex M.

2. Mykoreaneats. (n.d.). Bibimbap (Korean Rice With Mixed Vegetables). [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228240/bibimbap-korean-rice-with-mixed-vegetables/

3. Future Neighbor. (2017, May 12). How to make Bibimbap. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmWLcTLAFys

4. Sue or My Korean Kitchen. (2018, August 17). Bibimbap(Korena Mixed Rice with Meat and Assorted Vegetables). [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://mykoreankitchen.com/bibimbap-korean-mixed-rice-with-meat-and-assorted-vegetables/

5. Maangchi. (2008, January 6). Bibimbap. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bibimbap