Bibimbap (Korean Spicy Mixed Rice)

INGREDIENTS:

For meat and marinade (bulgogi)
  • 1 lb. beef steak (sirloin or rib-eye), sliced into strips
  • 3 tbsps. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsps. white vinegar
  • 2 calamansi limes, juice extracted
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped spring onions
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. grated ginger
  • 2 tbsps. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
For mung bean sprout salad (sukju namul muchim)
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • ½ tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. finely chopped spring onions
  • salt to taste
  • water for blanching
For lettuce salad
  • 1 cup torn lettuce leaf
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • ½ tsp. white vinegar
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • water for blanching
For vegetable stir fry
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 6 pcs. okra, sliced
  • 1 cup taingang daga (auricularia mushroom), soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained
  • vegetable cooking oil
  • salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
For bibimbap sauce (Gochujang)
  • 1 tbsp. soybean paste or miso
  • 2 tbsps. cayenne powder or finely ground red Thai chili
  • 1 tbsp. white sugar
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • water as needed
Other
  • 2 eggs, fried half-cooked sunny side up
  • steamed short grain rice
  • extra toasted sesame seeds
PROCEDURE: 

Prepare the beef bulgogi
  1. In a sealable container or ziplock bag, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, calamansi juice, garlic, spring onions, pepper, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds and brown sugar. Mix until all the ingredients are well-blended.
  2. Toss in the beef slices to coat with marinade mixture. Seal the container or bag and keep in the fridge to marinade for 1 hour to overnight.
  3. Heat up the pan with some vegetable oil and then fry the marinated beef. Set the heat on medium continue cooking until the beef is tender and caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside until needed.
Prepare the mung bean sprouts salad (sukju namul muchim)
  1. Boil the water in the pot and add a pinch of salt.
  2. Blanch the mung bean sprouts for 1-2 minutes or just enough until they begin to soften.
  3. Drain the boiled water and rinse with cold water. Squeeze the bean sprouts to remove excess water. Transfer into a mixing bowl.
  4. Season the bean sprouts with sesame oil, sesame seed, garlic powder and spring onions. Toss until well-blended. Set aside until needed.
Prepare the lettuce salad
  1. Boil the water in the pot and add a pinch of salt.
  2. Blanch the lettuce for 30 seconds.
  3. Drain the boiled water and plunge in ice cold water until completely cool. Drain the water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Roughly chop and transfer the lettuce into a mixing bowl.
  4. Season the lettuce with sesame oil, vinegar, garlic powder and pepper. Toss until well blended. Set aside until needed.
Stir fry the vegetables
  1. Heat a small amount of cooking oil in the frying pan and sauté the carrots until slightly tender.
  2. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Remove from heat.
  3. Do the same process to taingang daga and okra. Set aside the stir fried vegetables in separate saucers until needed.
Prepare the bibimbap sauce (Improvised gochujang sauce)
  1. In a small bowl, mix the miso paste, cayenne powder or minced chili, sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce and vinegar. Add enough water to form a thick sauce.
  2. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and then stir in the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Add more water if necessary and mix well. Refrigerate and set aside until needed.
Assemble the bibimbap
  1. Sprinkle the bottom of two bowls or dolsot with toasted sesame seed. Divide the rice among the bowls.
  2. Set the egg on top of the rice at the center of the bowl. Arrange the beef bulgogi, mung bean sprout salad, lettuce salad, carrots, taingang daga and okra around the fried egg.
  3. Add a dollop of gochujang sauce and sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds.
  4. Mix up all the ingredients in the bowl until evenly combined. Enjoy!
**Number of Servings: 2

TIPS FROM ENZ:
  1. Transform your bibimbap into a vegetarian dish by substituting the meat and eggs with tofu and other variety of mushrooms.
  2. In making an improvised gochujang sauce, you can also use tahini or sesame paste aside from miso.
  3. You may use cauliflower rice instead of the ordinary rice if you are on a low-carb diet.