We are obsessed with Bibimbap and this recipe is one of my favorite to make for a small intimate gathering of friends and family. You prep everything in advance, cook last minute and everyone builds their own bowl. It’s a fun recipe to make.
Marinade
To marinate the meat or chicken of your choice, combine pear (or apple), onion, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a sealable container, taste and adjust seasonings. Add the meat you choosing and massage in the marinade. Seal the container and refrigerate overnight, or at least one hour.
Bibimbap Sauce
The bibimbap sauce can also be made in advance. Simply mix all the sauce ingredients together until well-combined, taste to adjust. Thin it with a bit of water to make it easier to mix. Keep in a sealed container refrigerated.
Stir Fry Veggies
Heat a little of oil in a skillet, sauté the vegetables (separately, one type at a time) with salt and pepper until tender.
Carrots will take about 3-4 minutes.
Zucchini 1-2 minutes.
Onions 5-7 minutes.
Mushrooms 5-7 minutes. You can add a tsp of soy sauce to the mushrooms for extra flavor.
Finally sprinkle each cooked vegetable with 1-2 tsp sesame seeds.
For the soybean sprouts and spinach, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the sprouts and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Remove the sprouts and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Toss the sprouts with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, salt, pepper, and 2 tsp sesame seeds. Set aside.
Bring the water back to a boil and add the spinach. Cook the spinach briefly, just 30 seconds or less, until soft. Again, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, then toss the spinach with 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp soy sauce, salt, and pepper. HACK: Cooled water can be used for watering your houseplants.
Bulgogi
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add just a little sesame oil, and cook the meat in batches, taking care not to over-crowd the pan and to prevent steaming. Cook until meat is cooked through. Depending on the thickness it may takes about 3-4 minutes per batch.
Assembly
OPTIONAL STEP: Just before eating, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice to the skillet in an even layer. Let cook, without stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the bottom layer of rice forms a golden, crisp crust. This step is optional but worth trying.
The last thing is to fry the eggs. Best is sunny-side up with the yolk slightly runny for bibimbap.
For sunny-side up, heat one tbsp oil in a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs gently into the skillet and let cook, without moving them, for about 1-2 minutes, or until whites are opaque, crispy around the edges and yolk slightly firm..
Serve in shallow bowls or go traditional and use Dolsot( hot stone bowl). Place the rice first, followed by the proteins, vegetables, topped with eggs and seasoned seaweed to top, finally the gochujang sauce. Wide shallow pasta bowls or high rim plates are ideal, but serve in whatever you have—Enjoy!
