Bibimbap with Bulgogi

I had a hankering for some of the bimimbap I had while I was in Berlin. I walked up to the free-standing kiosk, in the middle of an empty lot. I had just been to do our laundry, so I was dragging my suitcase of clean clothes, which I parked by a chair, and went to order. It was some of the best I’ve had, matched only by the bowl in Incheon, South Korea.

Berlin Bibimbap stand

So I found this recipe and went to making. I first froze the steak so it was quite firm (but not solid) so it was easy to slice it thinly. I then made up the marinade, happy to see that it needed pear, which is just what the man at the Berlin booth said he included in his recipe. (He also grated it into the gochujang sauce, too, which made it a touch sweet and a bit milder than usual).

Bulgogi
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup finely grated Asian pear with juices
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
1 pound thinly sliced (1/8-inch) boneless beef rib-eye steak or short ribs
Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover; chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Rice, freshly cooked short grain brown rice, or crisp rice (recipe below)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 8 cups steamed sushi rice or mixed grain rice (from 2 1/2 cups dry rice)
Bibimbap Mix-Ins:
• bean sprouts
• julienned carrots (can use *this* tool, or just cut in matchstick pieces)
cooked spinach (can sautée the cooked spinach with garlic, if desired)
• sauteéd zucchini
• green onions–ribboned or thinly cross-cut (can be tossed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper)
• sliced cucumbers, (tossed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper)
gochujang sauce
• 8 fried eggs (while fried is traditional, I usually use a poached egg)

While the original recipe called for crisp rice, I didn’t do this–we just served it over warm brown rice from the rice cooker. I’m including it here in case it’s something you want to do. In addition, I halved the sliced steak and the marinade, freezing one-half. I also cut down on the additions.

Bibimbap in Berlin

Optional: To Crisp the Rice:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice; pat out in an even layer. Cook, rotating skillet for even browning (do not stir), until rice is golden and crisp on bottom, about 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add one-quarter of beef and cook, turning once, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 3 batches with remaining oil and beef.
    Divide rice among bowls. Top with beef, bibimbap mix-ins, and eggs. Serve kimchi alongside.

Pork Tenderloin wrapped in Prosciutto


Pork:
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
4 teaspoons herbes de Provence
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
16 thin slices prosciutto (Italian bacon; about 4 ounces)

Preparation
Stir rosemary, herbes de Provence, and oil in a small bowl. Rub all over pork; season with salt and pepper. Wrap prosciutto slices around pork and tie at 2″ intervals with kitchen twine to hold together. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

To make life easier, I spread out a length of wax paper, cut five piece of twine, and laid them out like railroad tracks.  I laid out the prosciutto in an area that I thought might match the length of the pork loin, plus double the width.  I placed the herbed meat on top of the prosciuttio, then brought the string up and tied it, which wrapped the prosciutto into place.  We flipped them over when we placed them in a lidded container, which we then put into the refrigerator overnight.

Spray a broiler pan with cooking spray (don’t forget the bottom of the pan that catches the drippings), place the pork loin on top.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of each loin registers 145 F.  Tent and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Transfer tenderloins to a cutting board, slice thinly and serve with plum chutney, or cranberry sauce.

NOTE: If using a charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire; push coals over to 1 side of grill. If using a gas grill, heat all but 1 burner to high. Grill tenderloins over hot part of grill, turning frequently, until a crisp brown crust forms on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Move tenderloins to cooler part of grill to gently cook through; cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of each loin registers 145°F, 15-20 minutes longer.