Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish which is just so tasty! I always thought it would be complicated to make but having given it a go at home it’s actually quite simple. It is a little faffy as you need to cook all the ingredients one by one, one after another but even so – it’s rather quick to do. I marinated my pork for a few hrs before cooking, but if you don’t have time to do that, just prepare the marinade first and marinade the pork while you are preparing and cooking the rest of the ingredients. I got the recipe from an old issue of Delicious magazine and have ever so slightly adapted it in places. Hope you enjoy!

You can get Gochujang paste (it’s a Korean chilli paste) from most Asian supermarkets.

More with Gochujang: Japanese inspired tuna burgers and togarashi fries

Sticky Pork Bibimbap

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Serves 4 | Prep 30 mins| Cook 30 mins
A little effort | Dairy Free

You’ll need:

  • 400g boneless pork belly, skin removed, chopped to bite size cubes;
  • 1-2 tbsp rapeseed (or vegetable oil), plus extra for frying the eggs;
  • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks;
  • 3 medium onions, sliced;
  • 150g beansprouts;
  • 150g oyster or shiitake mushrooms, sliced;
  • 200g spinach;
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil;
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce;
  • 1 tbsp agave syrup (or honey);
  • 400g short-grain rice;
  • 2 spring onions, sliced diagonally;
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips;
  • kimchi, to serve;
  • white and black sesame seeds, to serve.

For the Gochujang sauce:

  • 4 tbsp gochujang paste;
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil;
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce;
  • 2 garlic cloves;
  • 2 tbsp agave syrup (or honey)

First mix the gochujang sauce. Mix all sauce ingredients together and add around 3/4 of the sauce to a large bowl, reserving the rest. Add the pork and stir to coat well. Cover with cling film and leave to marinade for a few hrs or while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

To cook the bibimbap, heat 1 tbsp of the rapeseed or vegetable oil in a large wok. Stir-fry the carrots until they begin to soften. Add 1/2 tsp of each the sesame oil, soy sauce and agave syrup/honey. Cook over a high heat for 1 minute, then transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Then one vegetable at a time, cook the onions for 2 minutes and  beansprouts, mushrooms and spinach for 1 minute each, each time adding 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil, soy sauce and agave syrup/honey. Add more rapeseed oil as you go if needed. Set aside in separate bowls.

In the same wok, stir-fry the pork in its sauce for 20 minutes or until  cooked through. The gochujang sauce should reduce and caramelise a little to intensify the flavour. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Finally when the pork and rice are ready, heat a little oil in a clean frying pan and fry the eggs to your liking (should take about 3-4 minutes for a runny yolk). While the eggs are cooking, start assembling your bimbibap.

Divide the warm rice between 4 bowl evenly, then divide the onions on top. Add the remaining cooked vegetables, pork, cucumber and kimchi into little piles around the bowl. Finally top with the fired egg. Sprinkle over spring onions and sesame seeds and serve straight away.

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Adapted from a delicious magazine recipe “Jina’s Bibimbap” issue June 2013, no longer available online.