Korean Beef Bowl

I know a real bibimbap when I see one, and I apologize in advance to all my fellow Korean friends. When I was in Seoul, close to my university dorms, there was this very unassuming little restaurant that made the very best of them, and I enjoyed it on a weekly basis. There was this tiny tweak – maybe a tad more sesame oil in the seasoning, maybe a secret ingredient in the bulgogi, I wish I knew.

But bibimbap is a labour of love. I would know: I’ve already made it from scratch, as well as gimbap. Tasty as they may be, I’m sure as hell not cooking one of those bad boys at the end of my workday. Hence how this recipe was born: a craving for bibimbap, with only 30 minutes ahead of me.

Korean Beef Bowl – About the Dish

This bowl borrows from two Korean classics. The first one is bulgogi, which literally means “fire meat” – bul meaning fire, and gogi meaning meat. Thin slices of beef are marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and something sweet, then cooked over high heat so the sugars caramelise. It’s traditionally grilled, often right at the table, but a very hot pan does a great job at home.

The second one is bibimbap – bibim meaning mixed, and bap meaning rice. It’s a bowl of warm rice topped with seasoned vegetables, meat, an egg and a spoonful of gochujang sauce, that you mix thoroughly before eating. The city of Jeonju is famous for its version, and a popular story says the dish was born from mixing leftover side dishes into rice. Mine is a massive shortcut: kimchi stands in for the usual array of vegetable sides, and the bulgogi beef takes centre stage.

Korean Beef Bowl – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & where to find them

• Short grain rice: Japanese or Korean rice, the kind sold as “sushi rice” in most supermarkets. It’s slightly sticky, so it holds the sauce and the egg yolk instead of letting them slide to the bottom of the bowl. Basmati or jasmine won’t give you the same result.
• Beef: you want very thin slices, so it cooks in two minutes flat. Ribeye or sirloin are perfect. Pop the piece in the freezer for 30–45 minutes and it will be much easier to slice thinly – or look for pre-sliced beef for bulgogi or shabu-shabu in the freezer section of Asian stores.
• Rice syrup (ssal-yeot): the secret behind that glossy, lacquered finish on both the beef and the sauce. It’s less sweet than sugar and you’ll find it in Korean or rather large Asian stores. No rice syrup? Use 2 tsp of sugar, honey or agave for the beef, and 1.5 tsp of agave or honey for the sauce.
• Gochujang: the fermented Korean chili paste – sweet, savoury, a little funky and spicy. It comes in red tubs with a heat level marked on the lid, so pick yours according to your spice tolerance. Once opened, it keeps for months in the fridge.
• Toasted sesame oil: make sure it’s the dark, toasted one, not the pale cold-pressed kind – all the nutty aroma comes from the toasting.
• Kimchi: the more fermented and sour, the better here, because it cuts through the richness of the beef and the yolks. Look for napa cabbage kimchi in the fridge section of Asian stores.
• Rice vinegar: mild and slightly sweet, it just brightens the sauce. Avoid swapping it for a stronger vinegar, it would take over.

Cooking Tips

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear: usually 3 or 4 changes of water. It removes the surface starch so the grains stay distinct instead of turning gluey.
• Marinate the beef first: it only needs the time it takes to prep everything else, about 10 minutes, but give it that time.
• Get your pan very hot: heat the neutral oil over high heat until it shimmers, then spread the beef in a single layer. Leave it alone for 1 minute to sear, then toss it for 1 more minute.
• Keep an eye on the beef: the sugar in the marinade means it goes from caramelised to burnt very fast. Take it off the heat as soon as it’s browned.
• Fry the eggs in the same pan: quickly wipe it with paper towel but keep a thin film of oil (add a few drops if needed), and cook the eggs over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are golden and crispy and the yolks still runny.
• Adjust the sauce texture: it should flow like runny honey. The rice syrup thickens it, so add water half a teaspoon at a time until you get there.
• Mix right before eating: bibimbap literally means “mixed rice” – burst the yolks and mix everything thoroughly so the sauce and yolk coat every grain.

Sweet, spicy, savoury and ready in around 30 minutes – just don’t skip the most important step: mix like you mean it. Enjoy!