Bi Bim Bap

Photo: flickr user cherrylet

Ingredients

2 cups raw short- or medium-grain rice

12 ounces beef fillet ("bulgogi cut")

2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms or 8 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms

Vegetable oil

Marinade:

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons water or ch'ongju rice wine or dry vermouth

2 cloves garlic

2 inches piece of fresh ginger

3 green onions, white and pale green part only

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed

Vegetables:

cup Prepared vegetables (1 each of three or four types), at room temperature

Fresh Korean watercress*

Garnishes:

4 egg yolks, separated

Kochujang sauce

Toasted nori (aka laver or kim), sliced or torn into bits**

Sesame oil

Preparation

Cook rice in rice cooker or on stove, according to package directions. Be sure to time this so that the rice is steaming hot when other ingredients are ready (you may wish to prepare beef and mushrooms first).

Slice beef fillet thinly (or buy it already sliced) and then cut into strips. Place in bowl.

Reconstitute dried shiitake mushrooms by soaking in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes, or cut fresh oyster mushrooms into slivers. Place in bowl.

Peel, mash and slice garlic. Peel and slice ginger. Mince green onions. Whisk together soy sauce, sugar, water (or wine) and sesame oil; add garlic, ginger, sesame seed. Pour half of marinade over beef and half over mushrooms.

In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sauté beef until browned; set aside (refrigerate if preparing in advance). In the same frying pan, sauté mushrooms five minutes, until wilted and moist; turn up heat and fry 1 more minute, so as to absorb juices. Set aside (refrigerate if preparing in advance).

Bring prepared vegetables to room temperature. Wash Korean watercress in cold, running water; trim stems; pat dry with paper towels.

Arrange all ingredients around you.

To compose bibim bap: Place two scoops or more of hot rice in each of 4 large, deep round bowls. Arrange a couple of tablespoons each of the prepared vegetables, fresh Korean watercress, sautéed meat and mushrooms on top of the rice, leaving center free. Place egg yolk in center. Add a generous dollop of kochujang sauce. Lightly glaze with sesame oil. Top with toasted nori.