Recipe: Bibimbap (Korea)

the appetizer:

The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook by the Culinary Institute of America presents over 375 recipes for the home chef, including Buckwheat Flapjacks with Hibiscus Honey; Bibimbap (Korea); and Vegetarian Moussaka (with Seitan and Eggplant).

Cookbook

Bibimbap

Makes 4 servings

Contrasting temperatures and textures make this dish an adventure. Freshly fried eggs and marinated strips of steak are served on a bed of cool, crisp vegetables, atop a mound of hot steamed rice.

Beef Marinade
1/4 cup Korean soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger root
2 tsp ground toasted sesame seeds
Few drops dark sesame oil, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

1 lb beef skirt steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil, as needed
2 cups steamed medium-grained rice
2 cups iceberg lettuce chiffonade
1 cup julienned or grated red radish
1 cup Julienned or grated daikon
1 cup Julienned or grated carrot
1 cup julienned or grated seedless cucumber
4 shiso leaves, cut into fine shreds
4 large eggs
2 tbsp Korean red pepper paste (gochujang), or as needed

1. Combine the soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Add the sesame oil and pepper to taste. Add the skirt steak and toss until evenly coated. Cover, refrigerate, and let the steak marinate for at least 1 and up to 8 hours.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the beef strips to the hot oil and stir-fry until the beef is cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

3. Divide the rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top the rice with the lettuce. Toss together the red radish, daikon, carrot, cucumber, and shiso leaves. Divide the vegetables evenly among the bowls. Top the vegetables with the skirt steak and season each serving with a few drops of dark sesame oil.

4. Wipe out the wok and return it to the burner. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok and heat over medium heat until the oil ripples. Add the eggs to the hot oil one at a time and fry, basting the top with a little oil, until the whites are set and the yolk is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Top each serving with a fried egg and serve at once, accompanied by the Korean red pepper paste.

Shiso Leaves

Shiso leaves, sometimes known as perillo, come from an herb related to both basil and mint. In fact, it is similar in flavor to those herbs, although most would agree that shiso leaves have a more complex flavor than either herb.

Green shiso leaves are typically used in salads, stir-fries, or in tempura. Red shiso leaves are used to flavor and color Japan's famous pickled plums, umeboshi. If you can't find shiso leaves, you can use either basil or mint, or both.

from:
The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook
Over 375 of Our Favorite Recipes for the Home Chef,
Along with Tips and Preparation Techniques
from the Classrooms of the World's Premier Culinary College
by the Culinary Institute of America
Lebhar-Friedman Books 2008
Hardcover; $39.95
ISBN-10: 0867309318
ISBN-13: 978-0-86730-931-7
Recipe reprinted by permission.

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