bibimbop!

I mentioned in my earlier post that I was going to make bibimbop for dinner and it was such a hit that I decided it deserved its own blog post!

We got a childrens book called Bee-Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park. If you have a Korean child, or even if you don't, you should totally buy that book! It's a rhyming book (that will get stuck in your head!) about a girl helping her mom prepare Bibimbop.

It goes through all the steps to make it and at the end of the book there is a recipe for it and the instructions list things that a child can do to help prepare it.

It's seriously the CUTEST book and so fun to read. My kids love it! The recipe is really easy to make so tonight I decided to give it a try. Bibimbop is rice mixed with meat and veggies. I looked at several different recipes for it on the internet and it looks like the one in the book is pretty basic and kid friendly. It's a great meal for kids. My kids gobbled it right up and they're pretty picky!

I left out a few ingredients that we didn't have in the house, so I'm not sure how authentic the version we ended up making was, but it was SO good! My version basically just had the marinated meat (which is basically a bulgogi maranade, which is my favorite food in the world!), carrots, green onion, egg and rice. The real version has more veggies in it and it's also usually mixed with gochujung, which is Korean red pepper paste that is way too spicy for my kids! You're also supposed to serve everything seperately and mix it yourself if your own bowl, but I mixed it all before I served it just because it was easier that way and then I only needed one bowl.

So OK, real Koreans would probably laugh at my Bibimbop, but it really good! :)

Here's the recipe and photos of the finished product. Yum!


INGREDIENTS:
1 pound tender lean beef, such as sirloin tip
Vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 carrots
1 pound fresh spinach
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound mung-bean sprouts (available in Asian markets)
3 cups cooked rice

MARINADE:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


TO MARINATE BEEF: In large bowl, combine garlic, onions, soy, sugar, oil, sesame seeds, sesame oil and pepper. Slice beef across grain into very thin slices. With eager hands, toss beef and marinade together for 2 minutes. Set aside.

TO COOK EGGS: Whisk eggs together. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in one-fourth of eggs, tilting pan to spread thin. Cook for 1 minute. Flip. Cook other side for 1 minute. Slip egg pancake onto cutting board to cool. Repeat (adding oil, if necessary) to make 3 more pancakes. Stack pancakes. Roll stack tightly. Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices. Unroll slices into medium bowl. Fluff into heap of yellow ribbons. Set aside.

TO STIR-FRY CARROTS: Peel and cut carrots into matchsticks. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat. Stir-fry carrots until tender. Transfer to another bowl. Set aside.

To stir-fry spinach: Boil spinach for 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze. Stir-fry over high heat in 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer to another bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

TO BLANCH SPROUTS: Boil bean sprouts in lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer to another bowl. Set aside.

TO STIR-FRY BEEF: Heat large, dry skillet over high heat. Scoop meat from marinade. Add to hot pan in 1 big sizzle. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

TO SERVE: Set all bowls and skillet on table. Allow each guest to scoop rice into soup bowl, then add meat (with its juices) and vegetables. Top with egg ribbons. Mix, like crazy. Enjoy!