Bibimbap

비빔밥

(Mixed Rice with Vegetables and Beef)

Bibimbap is considered as one of the definitive Korean dishes by both Koreans and international K-food enthusiasts. Every local variation of bibimbap has its own unique characteristic and the variations from Jeonju and Jinju are particularly famous. Bibimbap is typically eaten on the last day of the year; any leftover food is mixed with rice so there would be no old food at the start of the Lunar New Year. For Koreans, this dish is also a comfort food that magically relieves heartaches, pent-up frustrations, and even stress and anxiety. In Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,2 Bong Soon’s family prepares their special bibimbap recipe for Min Hyuk during their visit to the hospital.

2 Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, directed by Hyung Min Lee, written by Mi Kyung Baek, starring Bo Young Park and Hyung Sik Park (2017; Seoul: JTBC), Netflix.

Main Ingredients

SEASONING A (FOR BEEF)

SEASONING B (FOR BEAN SPROUTS AND OYSTER MUSHROOMs)

HOW TO Prepare

  1. Remove tails and pods of bean sprouts and rinse. Put in a pot together with a cup of water. Cover with lid first and boil until fishy or distinct smell goes away.
  2. Cut zucchini and carrot into thin strips. Season each with a little salt for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat-dry the zucchini and carrots with paper towel to remove water.
  3. Julienne beef into thin strips and season with Seasoning A.

HOW TO Cook

  1. Season bean sprouts with half of Seasoning B.
  2. Blanch oyster mushrooms and tear into small pieces. Season with the remaining half of Seasoning B.
  3. Stir-fry zucchini, carrot, and beef individually. Cool down.
  4. Heat oil in a pan and cook eggs, sunny-side up.
  5. Put rice in a big bowl and arrange small amounts of each of the prepared ingredients on top of the rice.
  6. Drizzle with sesame oil.
  7. Top with fried egg and red chili paste sauce (see recipe on the next page). You can also serve the red chili paste sauce separately.

BONUS:

Yakgochujang

(Red Chili Paste Sauce)

Main Ingredients

HOW TO make

  1. Heat sesame oil and add in beef and a little pepper.
  2. Stir-fry until color changes.
  3. Add in red chili paste, honey, and water.
  4. Turn heat off and mix to prevent the sauce from burning.
  5. Turn on heat again and cook for 2 more minutes over medium-low heat.

Chef’s Note

  1. You can use bracken in place of beef in this recipe. Use the same seasonings.
  2. Yakgochujang – Yak means “honey” or “medicine” and gochujang means “red chili paste.” Honey was very rare in Korea before and was used in specialty dishes only. Since it was hard to get, it was only used for the royal family.
  3. You can replace honey with sugar or grain syrup. If you use syrup instead of honey, add some more because it is less sweet. You can adjust the sweetness to your taste.
  4. To easily mix Bibimbap, mix ingredients in the bowl it is served in with a pair of chopsticks.

 

This Dish Appears in the Following Korean Drama/s:

 

CHEF REGGIE’S TIPS

SUBSTITUTES

VARIATIONS