The hubby is a big fan of Korean food, and particularly the popular rice-bowl dish, bibimbap. And really, what’s not to like? You’ve got meat, veg, grain, and egg all in a single dish…topped with spices that bring heat, sweet, sour, and tangy all at the same time.
Usually, though, whenever the hubby had a bibimbap craving, we’ve gone out for it, as I assumed that it would be too difficult to try to assemble at home. But after receiving a bibimbap-style meal in one of our meal delivery kits last year, I found that a (slightly Westernized, slightly simplified) version of healthy beef bibimbap bows were pretty darn easy, and have since incorporated it into our normal meal rotation.
The key to this dish is that you have to be comfortable mutli-tasking in the kitchen and having several components going at the same time. As such, it’s best to read through the entire directions list first, so that you’re fully prepared to move from step to step.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice per bowl
- Frozen Spinach (thawed and drained)
- Shallot, chopped
- Garlic, chopped
- 1 steak (any type) (you’ll want roughly 3-4 oz of uncooked steak per bowl)
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Sugar
- Sesame Seeds (Toasted, if you can find them)
- Green onions, chopped finely
- Eggs (1 per bowl)
- Soy Sauce
- Sriracha Sauce
- Gojuchang Sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Sesame Oil
- Lime Juice
Directions:
- Start the rice, by rinsing and then following package directions for cooking.
- Create the bibimbap sauce, by combining those last 6 ingredients to your taste. I did about 1 tbsp each of the first 3 ingredients, and then roughly 1-2 teaspoons of everything else. (But the great thing about this dish is that you can make it exactly how you like it, so experiment with your preferences and create your own masterpiece!)
- Place about 1/2 of your sauce in a plastic freezer bag with the steak, to give it a quick marinade. Massage the sauce so that it covers the meat, then set side for a few minutes. Set the rest of your sauce aside for later use.
- Make a quick pickling solution. Combine equal parts sugar and vinegar in a small sauce pan with roughly 1 tbsp sugar per cup of liquid. Heat till dissolved and starting to simmer.
- Thinly chop your cucumbers and carrots and place in a bowl. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the top of them, and set aside.
- Start your steak. I prefer to do this over the grill, but you can also do it on the stove, preferably in a cast iron skillet. Depending on the thickness of your steak, you’ll probably want about 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Once the steak is finished, let it rest off the heat for at least five minutes before slicing.
- While the steak cooks, get your veggies going. Add a little sesame oil to a pan with the shallots and garlic, until they start to sweat. Then add the spinach, stirring occasionally until heated through and any residual water has cooked off.
- Once the spinach is complete, set it aside. Wipe down your saute pan and add just a little more oil, then in-go your eggs. You want to fry them to a nice “over-easy” consistency, so roughly 4 minutes or so over medium heat should be about right.
- Finally, everything should come together about the same time. Divide your rice and spinach mix between the bowls. Thinly slice your cooked steak, and add it to the bowls as well. Drain your quick pickles and add those to your bowls, then slide a fried egg on top.
- Finally, take the remainder of your bibimbap sauce from earlier and drizzle over your completed bowl, and top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
And that’s it! You’ve got a super-hearty and restaurant worthy healthy beef bibimbap bowl in just half an hour.
