Bibimbap [korean dish]

Have you ever watched something, a movie or a series and think: "Oh this looks so delicious I want to make it one day." Not? Maybe it is just me then :) It is what happens to me quite often but I do not always make the dishes I see or look for instructions. For this one I did. The story behind bibimbap is simple because I used to watch many korean series and I saw very often people eat bibimbap and it looked so simple and delicious mix of many vegetables, meat and rice. Sure I went online to browse how to make it and eventually this is how I make it now from time to time. 

Take note that the pictures and instructions I make here are made for two people. For one person it would be a bit... too much. 

Step 1 - Choose desired vegetables

Choose vegetables you think would go well to rice and meat. Usually many go well. I also pay attention that I use different colors of the vegetables because in the end it looks that more delicious. So what I usually pick are: 1 bigger carrot, 2 leaves of chinese cabbage, few mushrooms, 1/2 of zucchini and 1 cup of bean sprouts. 

What I do with the vegetables? I slice then in thin strips and am very careful when cutting carrot, needs some practice. 

Step 2 - Prepare the meat

For the meat I take one steak of pork neck. I cut it in small strips as well, similar size as the vegetables. Then marinate it in a bit of dark soy sauce, 1 spoon of oil, 2 spoons of brown suggar and a little pepper. I mix it well and let it stand aside for now. 

Step 3 - Sauce

For bibimbap I need to make special sauce. Ingredients I need: 1 or 2 gloves of garlic, half a medium sized onion, 1 smaller apple, some lemon juice, a bit of dark soy sauce, 1 spoon of brown suggar, little of pepper and 1-2 spoons of tomato concentrate. I do not use ketchup but you can also use pure tomato cut in small pieces or home made ketchup (need to ask my friend for her recepy, want to try it!). Then I use the blender to mix everything well, take a small taste so the sauce fits to my taste. You can also choose your own measurements of these ingredients up to your taste. An idea: more apple makes it that more sweeter. 

Step 4 - Rice

Before preparing anything else, I first put a pot with water on stove, measure half a cup of rice and let it cook while I do the next steps. 

Step 5 - Vegetables and meat preparation

I take a small pan in which I add a little bit of oil. Then the vegetables are seperately prepared. Do not mix them together! For example: I bake the slightly salted carrots until they are a bit soft, put it away on a plate. Then in the same, now empty, pan bake chinese cabbage, also slightly salted then put beside the carrots but make sure to seperate them with one paper towel. And again repeat for the other vegetables. As for the meat, I don't need any oil as it was already added to the marrinade. I put meat, together with marrinade in the pan and once done, also put aside. Only now I wash the pan and use it to prepare sunny side egg in it and make sure to let its insides remain soft. If you do it for one more person, make sure to have two sunny side eggs. 

Step 6 - Merge the dish together

I take a very large pan and put tiny bit of oil in it (or butter). In the middle of the pan I make a roundly shaped stack of rice. Sometimes I use a model as well to make it lovely shape. Then I add the prepared meat on the outer side of the rice and do the same with vegetables. I pay attention to colors. The meat is dark so I put light colored vegetables on the side of it like bean sprouts and chinese cabbage. Then beside them come zucchini and carrot or in some similar way so that it looks nice to the eye. On top of the rice I add my sunny side eggs and pour the prepared sauce over it. I let it heat up properly, vegetables might have turned slightly cold so make sure your dish is warm. Then present it on the table. 

Step 7 - The best part

I mix it all together and create a very rich risotto-like dish with many colors and very nice taste! Grab a spoon and "dober tek"!

Anny