Korean Venison Bibimbap
(Korean Rice Bowl with Egg)
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients and steps. Make sure everything is measured and ready before beginning (practice your “mis en place”!) This recipe comes together quickly and makes a beautiful presentation.
Serves: 4
Marinade Time: Up to 8 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Components (preparation instructions below):
Marinated, sliced venison
Pickled vegetables
Sauteed mushrooms
Sauteed spinach
Sunny-side up egg
Rice
Toppings - toasted sesame seeds, sliced avocado, Korean gochujang (or Sriracha) sauce
Marinade and Venison
1 garlic clove, grated
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. chili oil
1 lb. venison roast or steaks sliced very thin (1/8”) (see Extras below)
Combine garlic, soy sauce, pepper flakes, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a quart resealable plastic bag or container. Add meat to marinade, seal, and massage bag or shake container until the meat is coated. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Pickled Vegetables
4 medium carrots, peeled and julienned (or peeled into thin strips with a vegetable peeler)
12 scallions, green tops removed and bottoms julienned (reserve tops for another use)
1 c. rice vinegar
1 c. water
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole yellow mustard seeds
Combine carrots and scallions in a 4-cup capacity heatproof jar. Bring remaining pickling ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Pour hot liquid over vegetables and gently press to submerge everything, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Drain before serving.
Mushrooms, Spinach, and Eggs
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 (10 oz.) package baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
4 large eggs
See preparation instructions below.
Rice
1 ½ c. uncooked medium grain rice, cooked according to package instructions
Toppings
1 large avocado, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. each of black and white sesame seeds, toasted
Gochujang or sriracha sauce (optional)
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place 4 ovensafe serving bowls on the rack, and heat the oven to 200°.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the shiitakes and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to an oven-safe bowl and keep warm in the oven next to the bowls.
Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat and add half the meat. Cook and stir until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to an oven-safe platter and repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining meat. Keep warm in the oven.
In the same skillet and off the heat, add one more tablespoon of oil and garlic then return to medium-high heat just until the garlic is fragrant then stir in the spinach and cook, tossing constantly, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add to the platter in a separate pile next to the meat.
Divide the rice between the four warm bowls, arrange equal portions of the mushrooms and spinach around the side of the rice and return to the oven while cooking the eggs.
Crack each egg into separate bowls, leaving the yolks unbroken. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels, add the remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet, and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. One at a time and quickly, add the eggs to the skillet and try to keep them from touching. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
Uncover the eggs and remove from the heat. Remove the bowls of rice from the oven and slide one egg on top of each bowl. Add the pickled vegetables and avocado around the sides of the bowl, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, drizzle with sriracha (if using) and serve immediately
I’m not one of those people who orders “the usual” at restaurants we frequent, but my husband is. In fact, the last time we visited our hometown we went to a restaurant owned by a classically-trained Italian pastry chef who happens to be one of my husband’s old hunting partners. I asked the chef for his recommendation. Following a brief interrogation-style conversation he hurried off to the kitchen telling the waiter not to worry about writing down my order because it wasn’t on the menu. To the chef’s dismay my husband predictably ordered the Chicken Marsala. Neither of us was disappointed with our meals, and I enjoyed the added element of surprise.
I made one exception to my (loose) rule about not ordering the same thing every time. There was this little café owned and operated by a delightful Korean couple right across the street from my old office. They frequently offered daily specials and once I discovered their Bibimbap I rarely reverted to anything else. It was a mixture of marinated beef slices, sticky rice, crisp-cooked seasonal vegetables, and raw garnishes topped with an egg, and came with a little container of spicy hot sauce to pour over just before digging in. The intense flavors, variety of textures and bold yet balanced spices won me over, and the beef and chicken versions became my “usual” lunch. The café closed several years ago so I decided to try an at-home version using venison. I think they’d be pleased with the results.
Bibimbap features very thinly sliced meat. The trick to getting even, thin slices is to use partially frozen meat. Thaw a frozen venison roast or steak in the refrigerator until a sharp knife can be inserted into the meat and go all the way through with some resistance. If the meat hasn’t been frozen, only 20-30 minutes in the freezer is enough to firm it up for nice, neat, paper-thin slices. This technique works well with many kinds of meat.