OK, so I debated a while about what to name this recipe, which was inspired by a lovely lunch I got from a food cart last week! It was made by someone who has been making it all his life! So, although the idea is similar, I couldn’t bear to belittle the authenticity of the dish by calling it bibimbab. Hence the name you see here! “Bibimbap-Style Beef Dinner”
For ingredients, I guess you could pretty much use a variety of your favorite veggies (raw, steamed or sautéed) and stir-fried beef or pork with steamed rice and cooked seasoned glass noodles. Going back to my food cart reference, I almost didn’t order the bibimbap because the dish was topped with a soft-set egg. I am not a runny yolk person. So, yes, I was a coward and ordered my egg fully cooked.
For this recipe, I used a small bunch of spinach and carrots for veggies. I wish I had bean sprouts, maybe next time! Spinach was just boiled in its own liquids and carrot was briefly sautéed in a small amount of oil. I seasoned the shaved beef in some Korean marinade and sautéed in small batches.
Drizzle a bit of toasted sesame oil and sprinkle a bit of toasted sesame seeds on your served dish and you will have yourself something that may just satisfy your craving for bibimbap until your next visit to a Korean restaurant or a food cart! 🙂
Bibimbap-Style Beef Dinner
Ingredients
1/2 lb shaved beef
1/4 cup Korean meat marinade (bottled)*
1 small bunch fresh spinach
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 cups lettuce leaves, torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3/4 cup cooked glass noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup bottle kimchi, optional
1 jalapeno, sliced thin, optional
1/4 cup sliced red onions, optional
1 cup cooked rice
4 eggs
Preparation:
1. Season the beef with the meat marinade and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Prepare the glass noodles according to package directions. Add 1/4 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of Korean marinade. Set aside.
3. In a medium pan, steam the spinach leaves. Drain off the liquid and season with 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce. Set aside.
4. Wipe the pan and add a teaspoon of oil. Saute the carrots for 2 minutes till they are crisp tender. Season with salt, if desired. Set aside.
5. Heat the pan over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Saute half the meat for about 3 minutes till it is cooked through. Remove to a platter and repeat with the remaining meat.
6. Pan fry eggs according to your taste.
7. Divide the meat, vegetables, rice and noodles among 4 plates. Add kimchi, jalapeno and onions, if desired. Lastly, top with an egg and drizzle a few drops of toasted sesame oil over the vegetables and meat.
* NOTE: If Korean barbeque sauce is not available, feel free to substitute equal amount of light soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (or palm sugar)
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