Name: The Spruce Eat’s Classic Korean Bibimbap
Ingredients: 2 cups medium-grain Korean rice (or Japanese rice); 1 large cucumber (sliced into thin strips); 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts (parboiled and squeezed of excess water); 1 1/2 cups spinach (parboiled and squeezed of excess water); Dash of sesame seeds; 2 carrots (julienned); 4 shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated if dried and then sliced); 1 zucchini (sliced into thin strips); 2 tablespoons sesame oil (divided); 2 teaspoons salt (divided); 1/2 pound meat, optional (both raw and cooked ground meat work well); Fried egg, optional; Gochujang, for serving (red pepper)

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pork:

3 ounces whole ginger root
3 tablespoons doenjang (Korean soybean paste)
1 onion (quartered)
4 scallions (white parts only, roughly chopped)
6 garlic cloves (smashed)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean chile paste)
2 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons doenjang
1 tablespoon gochujang
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic (finely grated)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

For optional pickled radish:

8 ounces Korean white radish (peeled and julienned)
2 tablespoons Korean apple vinegar (or rice vinegar)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground Szechuan chile peppers
1 clove garlic (finely grated)
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For serving:

Steamed white rice
Whole leaf lettuce

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Instructions

Finely grate 1 ounce of the whole ginger, and cut the other 2 ounces into a few large chunks.
Add the prepared garlic, doenjang, onion, scallions, garlic cloves, honey, gochujang, and pork belly to a 5 quart (or larger) pot with lid. Add water to cover the pork belly.
Stirring occasionally to distribute the ingredients, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 2 hours.
To prepare the optional but delicious pickles, simply combine white radish, Korean apple vinegar, sugar, ground Szechuan chile peppers, clove, and Kosher salt in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
When the pork belly is done, transfer the meat to a foil-lined baking sheet. Discard the cooking liquid along with the aromatics.
Roast the pork in the oven for about 30 minutes. While the pork is roasting, steam your rice.
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Wash and dry the lettuce and perilla leaves. Arrange on platters.
When the pork belly is caramelized, slice as desired and serve immediately with all accompaniments.

Author: The Spruce Eats