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a bowl of short-grain white rice with separate portions of finely crumbled beef, wilted spinach, thin carrot matchsticks, cooked bean sprouts and sliced shiitake mushrooms, topped with one fried egg and a small spoonful of thick red gochujang sauce
Melissa Hart

Ground Beef Bibimbap

Cooking each vegetable separately takes a few extra minutes, but it's what keeps the spinach, carrots, bean sprouts and mushrooms from becoming one indistinct skillet mixture. Use the same pan in sequence and set the cooked portions on a large plate while the beef browns. The sauce gets mixed in at the table, so start with part of it and add more after you've tasted a forkful with rice and egg. A firm yolk works well if you don't enjoy a runny egg; the gochujang sauce still gives the bowl enough moisture to bring everything together. Don't leave the vegetables piled in the hot pan while waiting for the rice, or the tender ones will keep cooking.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice rinsed and drained
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp warm water
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil divided
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil divided
  • 6 oz baby spinach
  • 2 medium carrots cut into thin matchsticks
  • 6 oz mung bean sprouts rinsed
  • 4 oz shiitake mushroom caps sliced
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs

Method
 

  1. Bring rice and 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 18 minutes; rest covered off heat for 10 minutes. Mix gochujang, vinegar, honey, warm water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wilt spinach for 1 to 2 minutes with a pinch of the measured salt and transfer to a plate.
  3. Add another teaspoon oil and cook carrots for 3 minutes with another pinch of salt; transfer to the plate. Add another teaspoon oil and cook bean sprouts for 4 minutes until steaming hot and softened, then transfer to the plate.
  4. Add 1 teaspoon oil and cook mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes with the remaining salt, then transfer to the plate. Keep the vegetable portions separate.
  5. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet. Brown beef for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it into fine crumbles and cooking to 160°F. Stir in garlic, soy sauce and sugar for 1 minute, then remove from heat and add the remaining teaspoon sesame oil.
  6. Heat the remaining tablespoon neutral oil in a separate nonstick skillet. Fry eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until whites are fully set, covering briefly as needed; cook yolks firm if preferred.
  7. Divide rice among four bowls, arrange beef and vegetables over it and put one egg on each. Add the sauce at the table and stir the components together before eating.