How to Build a Bibimbap Bowl
A couple of weeks ago, Sean and I were in Portland. If you've never been to Portland, then lemme tell you how great the food is. There are a lot of imaginative restaurants and chefs making great food with new ideas. Both times we've been in Portland we've tried lots of new things. Whether it be a new format of restaurant or a new cuisine, there's always something delicious to try.
This last trip, one of my favorite dining experiences was going to Pine Street Market. It's sortof a packing house with a bunch of different shop fronts to get amazing food- complete with a Salt & Straw yumm. The ramen was calling my name, but I decided on trying a bibimbap bowl and giiiirl it was a good decision.
Sooooo... in true home chef fashion, time to recreate it. This one is a little different, because it's sortof a couple recipes wrapped up in one: Spicy asian BBQ pork, marinated cucumbers, and sautéed spinach. I think thats what I like about bowl meals- you get so many flavors and elements all in one bowl. Every bite is #theperfectbite.
PSA: This recipe looks long- BUT it's actually not that time-consuming -OR- complicated. There is a lot of inactive time. I.E. while the pork is in the crockpot- etc.
Step 1: Crockpot pork
You could totally use this recipe in other ways too! Put it in some tacos with shredded cabbage and top it with peanuts. Put it in a hoagie roll with cucumbers, jalapenos and cilantro for a bahn mi, or just put it in a bowl with some rice and call it a day.
This part is easy, and you only need three things: sauce, pork, crockpot.
Sauce:
2 T spicy mustard
1/2 cup bbq sauce
¼ cup coconut aminos
1 T sesame oil
1 T green dragon sauce
1 t ground ginger or 1 T fresh
2 T sweet chili sauce
2 T Apple cider vinegar
1 Cup chicken stock
1 Pork Loin (I think mine was about 1.5 lb)
1 T corn Starch
A couple of notes on ingredients:
• I do most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joes, so that's where I find Green dragon sauce and sweet chili sauce. If you are shopping elsewhere, sub Sriracha for green dragon sauce, and sub 1 T chili sauce, and 1 T honey for the sweet chili sauce.
• I am gluten free & soy free, so I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
• You could also use pork shoulder or tenderloin, just adjust the amount of sauce depending on the size of your meat. i.e. if your meat is 2lbs, double the sauce, and likewise if your meat is .5lbs, halve the sauce, etc.
Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce. Spray the bottom of your crockpot with cooking spray, then place the pork loin in, fat side down, and pour the sauce over. Set on LOW for 8 HOURS.
After 8 hours, remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid in the pot and mix it with 1 T cornstarch. Set aside. If you are using a pork loin roast, remove the layer of fat and discard. Then shred with 2 forks. It should be tender and easy to shred. Add the cornstarch and mix in. Set the crockpot to high for the last 20-30 minutes until you're ready to server. This will just let the sauce thicken a bit.
Step 2: Toppings
Typically, bibimbap use a variety of toppings. These include but are not limited to: kimchi, sauteed spinach, marinated cucumbers (or other veggies), carrots, mushrooms, scallions, peppers, bean sprouts, and a fried egg. They are typically served over rice, rice noodles, or both. YEAH- NOBODY GOT TIME FOR ALLLLL THAT.
So here's our game plan... Rice on the bottom (the cooked frozen packs are life-changing and all I use) but you can cook it too- #youdoyou. Then we will have our pork, shredded carrots (I buy them pre-shredded), sautéed spinach, marinated cucumbers, a fried egg, kimchee (Trader Joes recently started carrying this too!) and a spicy mustard BBQ sauce on the side!
Marinated Cucumbers
1 large cucumber
1 T coconut aminos
1 T white vinegar
1 t sesame seeds
1 t red chili flakes
1 t honey
Slice the cucumber on a mandolin on medium setting -or- slice thinly the old school way. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir together, and let it sit for 30+
Sautéed Spinach
1 bag (about 4 cups) spinach
1 t veg oil
Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder to taste.
In a skillet, heat oil. Add spinach and seasoning, mix together, and let it wilt- only takes like 30 seconds.
Drizzle Sauce
I just mixed about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, and 1/4 cup spicy mustard together to drizzle over the top of the bowl. Easy Peasy.
Miscellaneous
Prep whatever other toppings you're using. For me, it's a fried egg, a jar of kimchi, some shredded carrots, and microwaving my frozen rice for the base layer. Buying pre-prepped foods makes life easier.
Step 3: Plating
My favorite part! This is where it goes from a bunch of random ingredients to a bowl of magic. Start with your rice down in a bowl, then arrange your toppings: shredded carrots, sauteed spinach, kimchi, marinated cucumbers, shredded pork, and fried egg. Then drizzle some sauce over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
