We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows us how to make one of the most popular dishes in Korean cuisine.
/OBrien_Bibimbap_page1.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_Bibimbap_page1.jpg "Hello again, my fellow food fans! This time around, I'd like to take you on a trip to Korea for one of my favorite sweet and spicy dishes. Bibimbap Bibimbap is a Korean dish, literally meaning \"mixed rice\". Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables, sliced meat and an egg. Although ingredients are usually arranged in a decorative manner, the dish is usually stirred together thoroughly just before eating. The real powerhouse ingredient in Bibimbap is gochujang sauce, a sweet, spicy sauce made from red chilis. Gochujang can be a little tricky to find, but most Asian groceries will have it. I've also found it in the international section of the grocery department at Target. The toppings in any given version of Bibimbap very, so I'm just listing some of my favorites. This version of the recipe serves four.")
/OBrien_Bibimbap_page2.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_Bibimbap_page2.jpg "Here's what you'll need: 8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 1/2 large carrot, julienned 2 small zucchinis ¾ lb beef, sliced (I use pub style shaved beef from my meat counter) 4 eggs Cooked rice, 3-4 servings 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp honey or brown sugar 3 tsp sesame oil, divided ground pepper 2 tbsp gochujang 1 tbsp sugar 1.5 tbsp water 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp oil The meat and the mushrooms need to marinade in different sauces, as well as the excess liquid being removed from the zucchinis. Combine 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tbsp water, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to make the marinade for the beef. Mix the beef and the marinade together and let sit for around 20 minutes.")
/OBrien_Bibimbap_page3_ver2.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_Bibimbap_page3_ver2.jpg "Now, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp honey or brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil and ground pepper to taste to create the mushroom marinade. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms to this mixture and allow this to marinade for around 20 minutes as well. Now, Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt over sliced zucchinis and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Once that is done, squeeze out excess liquid from salted zucchini by hand. Then mix in 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds. While your ingredients are marinating, start your rice. Cook according to package instructions, or in a rice cooker. A few minuted before your ingredients are done marinating, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of oil.")
/OBrien_Bibimbap_page4.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_Bibimbap_page4.jpg "In a non-stick pan, saute the carrots until soft, season with salt and pepper. Set aside. In the same pan, Saute zucchini for 1 - 2 minutes. Set aside. In the same pan, saute the mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside. In the same pan, cook the beef until browned, around 5 minutes. Cook the beef in batches if necessary. Set aside. While the beef cooks, cook your eggs. You can make fried eggs, but I prefer poached. I recommend leaving the yolks runny.")
/OBrien_Bibimbap_page5.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_Bibimbap_page5.jpg "One your meat and eggs are done cooking, put a serving of rice into a bowl, and top with the carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and beef. Place a cooked egg in the center. Drizzle the whole thing with some extra gochujang sauce to taste. Now's the time to snap a pic if you're so inclined. Stir everything together, and enjoy! Happy eating!")
If you want some hands-on experience working with Korean ingredients with our professional chefs, don't miss The Chopping Block's Touch of Seoul cooking class on Monday, March 31 at 6pm at our Merchandise Mart location.
Love our food comics but want a text-only version for easy reference in the kitchen? Download a PDF of the recipe here.
/Bibimbap.jpg?width=400&name=Bibimbap.jpg "Bibimbap")
