One of the most classic and recognizable Korean dishes. Colorful, vibrant, and incredibly delicious. The sauce itself is worth making on its own and it goes well with so many different dishes. Preparing this dish does require some patience (due to the large number of side ingredients), but this dish is fairly straightforward technically. It's also pretty scalable, so it works well when preparing dinner for a large group of people.
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 2 hr 30 min
> ingredients for beef bulgogi (http://www.brianxie.me/cookbook/beef-bulgogi/)
> rice (1.5 cups dry)
> ingredients for bean sprout banchan (http://www.brianxie.me/cookbook/bean-sprout-banchan/)
> carrot (1 large, cut into thin 2-inch strips)
> Korean spinach (6 oz)
> green onion (3 stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces)
> egg (2)
> salt, neutral oil
Bibimbap sauce:
> gochujang (2 tbsp)
> mirin (1 tbsp)
> rice vinegar (1 tbsp)
> soy sauce (1 tsp)
> sugar (1/2 tbsp)
> garlic (1 clove, grated)
> sesame oil (1/2 tbsp)
1. Follow the directions to marinade the beef bulgogi 2-3 hours in advance (recipe: http://www.brianxie.me/cookbook/beef-bulgogi/)
2. Prepare rice in a rice cooker in advance (based on how long it takes for your rice cooker to finish cooking).
3. Prepare the bibimbap sauce by mixing everything together until well combined.
4. Follow the directions to prepare the bean sprout banchan, reducing the amount of gochugaru, fish sauce, and soy sauce by half (recipe: http://www.brianxie.me/cookbook/bean-sprout-banchan/).
5. Prepare all the side ingredients one at a time. Saute carrots (4-8 min), Korean spinach (2-3 min), green onion (<1 min). Fry a couple of eggs sunny-side-up or over-easy.
6. Sear the beef bulgogi according to the directions.
7. Arrange the bibimbap by putting rice in a medium bowl, arranging the side ingredients + bulgogi in a circle, layering a fried egg on top, and drizzling with bibimbap sauce. Top with some sesame seeds.
8. Enjoy by breaking the yolk and mixing everything together.
> Bibimbap literally translates to "mixed rice". Use whatever vegetables and other ingredients you'd like. Other common ingredients include kimchi, shittake mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
> If you have a gas stove and an earthenware pot, consider preparing stone pot rice! It is essentially the same dish, except with the rice briefly cooked in the hot earthenware pot, which gives a delightful crispy texture on the rice.