Gimbap
Ingredients
- 2 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 sheets gim (roasted seaweed for gimbap)
- 8 oz beef sirloin, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 4 stems blanched spinach, squeezed dry and seasoned with sesame oil and salt
- 4 strips danmuji (yellow pickled radish)
- 4 strips cooked burdock root (optional)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the rice slightly firmer than usual. While hot, season with sesame oil and salt, then cool to just above room temperature — warm rice tears the gim, cold rice won't stick.
- Marinate the beef in soy sauce, sugar, and garlic for 15 minutes, then sear in a hot skillet 2-3 minutes until caramelized. Set aside.
- Cook the beaten eggs into a flat omelet over medium-low heat, about 2 minutes per side; slice into 1/2-inch strips.
- Sauté the carrot with a pinch of salt for 1 minute — softened but still snappy.
- Lay a sheet of gim shiny-side down on a bamboo mat. Spread about 3/4 cup rice over the bottom two-thirds, pressing to an even layer.
- Line up beef, egg, carrot, spinach, danmuji, and burdock across the center. Roll away from you with firm, even pressure, using the mat to keep it tight.
- Brush the finished roll with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and slice into 3/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.
- Repeat with remaining sheets. Serve at room temperature — never refrigerate; the rice hardens.
Inspired by Ilji Cheung’s winning gimbap. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.