Easy Korean Bibimbap
What is a Bibimbap?
A bibimbap, also sometimes called a bibimbop, is a warm Korean rice dish topped with a variety of things and stems from the term “bibim” which means to mixing rice. The most common toppings are eggs, meats, cooked vegetables, kimchi, gochujang, and mushrooms.
It’s a delicious, large, and relatively inexpensive dish that can feed a whole family and still leave leftovers.
What’s The Origin?
Originally known as "Goldonban,” this dish was first seen in Korea sometime between 1400 -1600 A.D. during the Josean Period. There are many theories of where exactly it came from, but the most prominent ones are that it came from ancestral rituals or from farmers working long hours.
The first written showed the bibimap as the “bubimbop,” and was made to be a light meal for the king of that time. It was also traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year to give people a chance to clear out all the leftovers and miscellaneous items from their pantries to get a fresh start on the new year.
Easy Korean Bibimbap
Abel Dawson | 6/22/2021
- prep time: 15 minutes
- cook time: 30 minutes
- fast total time: 2 hours
- slow total time: 25 hours
Servings: 4
Ingredients - Steak:
1 lb Top Round Steak
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Gochujeng
1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
3 Cloves Garlic
Ingredients - Toppings:
1.5 Cup Rice
3 Carrots
1/4 Cu Zuccini OR Cucumber
1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1/2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Cup Baby Spinach
1 Cup Bean Sprouts
4 Eggs
Chopped Peanuts, for garnish
Instructions:
- Slice the steak perpendicular to the grain about ¼ inch or ½ cm thick, and slice each cut into 2 inch / 5 cm sections. Add meat to a large ziplock back, along with peanut butter, soy sauce, gochujang, and sesame oil. Finely mince the garlic and add to the bag. Place the bag in the fridge and let it rest for 1 - 24 hours.
- Prepare the rice according to packaging. While the rice is cooking, bring 2 qt / 1.5 l of water to a boil.
- Peel carrots and use the peeler to cut carrots into thin slices, do the same for the Zucchini or Cucumber. Heat up a pan over medium heat and add sesame and canola oil. Add the carrots and saute it for 3 minutes, remove from the pan and set it aside, repeat with zucchini. Keep the pan hot on the stove.
- When the water is boiling, blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, remove but do not discard the water. Using the same water, blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds. Set both aside.
- Turn the heat up to medium high under the pan. Add the marinated meat and all of the sauce to the pan, cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- While the meat is cooking, heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot add 1 tbsp canola oil. Crack all four eggs and let them sit over the heat for 3 minutes. Shut the heat off. Chop peanuts into small chunks.
- Serve rice on the bottom of a large bowl with each topping around, add the meat and sauce over the rice and top with eggs and peanuts!
- Serve hot and enjoy!
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