Bibimbap & Dol Sot Bibimbap Korean Rice Bowl Recipe

My first trip to a Korean Restaurant.

It was one of those days. I felt like I needed a little pick me up, and a treat to something different.

I had to pick-up my glasses at a place where I used to frequent quite a bit because of a Noodle place next to it, but it is quite out of my way now. Next to it are several restaurants, one of them being this Korean Restaurant. Honestly, it is so small that I think of it more like a kiosk, as a matter of fact, when I was looking it up on Google, I called it Korean Food, and didn't use the word "restaurant".

Anyways, I went in the restaurant after I was done with my glasses business and had no idea what I wanted. I looked around and saw that others seemed to know what they wanted....


Like the normal routine, the host gave me a menu, with a lot of characters on it. I thought: "OH- MAN! Either I just have to woman-up and walk-out, or I have to pick something and be happy with it, whether I like it or not, or have to be brave and admit that I have no idea what is on the menu.  I did none of that, I instead asked the host, what people are having. Instead of answering my question, he handed me a different booklet (different menu with photos). The pictures were life saving! I picked the plate below. I don't even know the name of this dish, but have fantasized about having the same dish again since that day  - which is going on six months now. That's what Google is great for... I looked it up today and found it on Yelp. It's called Bibimbap!

Total Time:2 hr 40 min
Prep:1 hr
Inactive:1 hr 30 min
Cook:10 min
Yield:4 servings
Level:Intermediate
Ingredients
Steamed white rice
Bulgogi, recipe follows
1 carrot, julienned
Cooked bean sprouts, sauteed in a little sesame oil or peanut oil and seasoned with salt
Cooked spinach, sauteed in a little sesame or peanut oil and seasoned with salt
4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed in peanut oil and seasoned with salt
1 egg, cooked over easy
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Soy sauce, to taste
Gochuchang Paste, recipe follows
Directions
*Cook's Note: This can be done in a regular bowl or a hot stone bowl. If it's in a hot stone bowl, the rice becomes crunchy because it's still cooking.
Put cooked rice in large slightly shallow bowl. Place bulgogi (with juices from cooked meat) and veggies on top of rice but place separately so you can see each ingredient beautifully placed on rice. Put egg on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce.
When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together with some gochuchang paste, to taste. The bibimpap should be moist and not dry. Add more sesame oil and gochuchang paste, to taste.
Bulgogi:
1 pound rib-eye
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (20-ounce) bottle lemon-lime soda, optional (recommended: Sprite or 7-Up)
Place rib-eye in freezer for about 30 minutes so that it is easier to thinly slice. When partially frozen, remove from freezer and thinly slice. Set aside.
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the thinly sliced beef and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight; it is best if marinated overnight.
Heat grill to high. Remove beef from marinade and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to compile Bibimbap.
Gochuchang Paste (seasoned red pepper paste):
4 tablespoons gochuchang (available at Korean grocers)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
Recipe courtesy of Jen Lee