Bibimbap: Korean Rice Bowl with Vegetables and Gochujang Sauce

Ingredients and substitutions

Choosing your ingredients

Short-grain white rice is slightly sticky, so the toppings cling and the bowl holds together. Serve it warm, not scalding.

Sirloin or ribeye gives tender slices that cook in minutes. Partly freeze the steak for 20 to 30 minutes and it slices thin, about 1/8 inch (3 mm). Marinate it in the refrigerator, never on the counter.

Gochujang is a fermented condiment that is savory, sweet and spicy. Wikipedia lists its base as red chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybean powder, barley malt powder and salt. It is sold in tubs at Asian grocery stores and many supermarkets. Heat varies by brand, so taste before using all the sauce. Cut the carrots and zucchini to one size so each cooks in one to two minutes, and cook the sprouts until tender rather than serving them raw.

Possible substitutions

• Gochujang: There is no true substitute, because the fermented flavor is unique. As a stand-in, stir 1 tablespoon miso, 1 teaspoon Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon water.
• Sliced beef: 12 ounces (340 g) ground beef, cooked until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Thin chicken thigh slices also work, cooked to 165°F (74°C).
• Beef, for a meatless bowl: 14 ounces (400 g) firm tofu, pressed dry, sliced and pan-fried in the marinade for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden.
• Short-grain rice: Sushi rice or medium-grain rice, cooked by the package directions.
• Rice vinegar: The same amount of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

Step-by-step method

1. Cook the rice. Rinse the rice, swirling and draining 3 to 4 times, until the water runs mostly clear. Bring it to a boil with the water in a medium pot, cover and cook over the lowest heat for about 15 minutes. Rest it covered off the heat for 10 minutes. The grains should be plump and tender with no hard center.
2. Marinate the beef and mix the sauce. Toss the beef with the soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, garlic and scallions. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes. Whisk the gochujang, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, remaining sugar, vinegar and water. The sauce should fall from the spoon in a thick, glossy ribbon; add a few drops of water if it is stiff.
3. Cut and blanch the vegetables. Cut the carrots and zucchini into matchsticks about 2 inches (5 cm) long, slice the mushrooms and rinse the sprouts. Boil salted water. Cook the spinach 30 to 45 seconds, until bright green and limp, cool it in cold water and squeeze it dry. Boil the sprouts 3 to 5 minutes, until tender, and drain. Season each with garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
4. Sauté the remaining vegetables, one at a time. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat with a little neutral oil. Cook the carrots 1 to 2 minutes, until bright and just tender, then the zucchini 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges turn translucent but it is still green. Cook the mushrooms 3 to 4 minutes, until browned and dry. Salt each lightly and keep each on its own plate.
5. Cook the beef. Wipe the skillet and heat it over high heat for 1 minute. Add a little oil and cook the beef in two batches, in a single layer, for 1 to 2 minutes each. The slices should be deeply browned with no pink. Thin slices cannot be probed, so cut one open to check.
6. Fry the eggs. Wipe the pan, add a thin film of oil and set it over medium heat. Crack in the eggs with space between them and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the edges are lacy and golden. The yolks stay glossy and soft. For firm yolks, cover the pan 1 to 2 minutes longer, until no yolk is runny.
7. Crisp the rice (optional). Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a clean 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Press about a quarter of the rice into a thin, even layer and cook without moving it for 4 to 6 minutes, until the edge sizzles and the underside is golden and crunchy. Lower the heat if it smokes. Repeat for each bowl.
8. Assemble and mix. Divide the warm rice among four bowls, crisp side up if you made it. Arrange each vegetable in its own section, put the beef in the center and set an egg on top. Add a spoonful of sauce and the sesame seeds, and pass the rest. Stir everything with a spoon for 20 to 30 seconds, until the rice turns an even red-orange.

Storage and reheating

Store the parts separately, not as an assembled bowl. Spread the rice in a shallow container so it cools fast, and refrigerate it and the cooked beef and vegetables within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). They keep 3 to 4 days in airtight containers. Cook the eggs fresh each time.

Sprinkle water over the rice, cover it and microwave until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C); reheat the beef the same way. The vegetables are fine cold. The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Cooked rice and beef freeze for about 3 months, but the vegetables turn watery, so do not freeze them.

Common mistakes

• Cooking all the vegetables together. The colors blur and the times clash. Cook each on its own for one to two minutes and season it separately.
• Leaving the spinach and sprouts wet. Water pools in the bowl and makes the rice soggy. Squeeze the spinach hard and drain the sprouts well.
• Overcooking the zucchini and carrots. They should keep a little bite. Pull them as soon as the edges turn translucent, since they keep cooking on the plate.
• Crowding the beef. Too much meat releases juice and steams instead of browning. Use two batches over high heat.
• Adding all the sauce at once. Brands differ in heat and salt. Start with half, stir, taste and add more.