Korean BBQ Bowls with Garlic Scented Rice

Hearty Korean BBQ Bowls made with bulgogi beef, garlic scented rice, quick cucumber carrot salad, and half boiled eggs. These bowls are warm, comforting, and LOADED with protein.

Livin’ that bowl life.

➡️➡️➡️ More specifically korean bbq bowls consisting of garlic scented rice, quick pickled cucumber and carrot salad that is a little tangy and a little sweet, with a half boiled egg, and a good dollop of spicy sriracha mayo to just hug it all and give the whole thing a little ???.

Bowls were my jam this summer and that shouldn’t change just because the seasons do, right? The sheer possi-bowl-ites (yes, I went there) for the fall are a little insane and frankly my friend, they make me a little giddy with joy. Harvest bowls? YASS. Warm, comforting bowls of veggies//protein//carbs that allow you to pile all sorts of fresh, seasonal food in a bowl and make it your own to love and crave.

I am all in with this bowl thang.

The base of any good rice bowl is the rice (duh, right) and this Korean bbq bowl is no exception. This one goes out to all my garlic fanatics out there. We’re making garlic scented rice. I’ve got a garlic –all caps– LOVER at home and this little number has already been requested again and again.

By garlicky, we’re talkin’ about infusing the olive oil as it heats up with freshly sliced garlic and then we’re going to sauté the rice in that oil before cooking it so the garlic flavor is hugging every single grain of rice. Real talk though, this is garlicky. And I get that that isn’t everyones scene. If you want to make this a little more mellow in the garlic department, you can give the whole cloves a little whack with a knife so they’re smashed but still whole instead of slicing them up. This’ll make it easier of you to fish them out, leaving you with just a hint rather than a full-on dose of garlic.

Next, we talk rice. I’m using parboiled rice in this recipe because it’s kinda been one of my top 10 food obsessions of 2016. I’m sure you can make this recipe with regular/basmati rice, however this will require some tinkering on your part in the department of cooking time and additional cooking liquids.

These hearty Korean bbq bowls are a spin off of my bulgogi beef kabobs where I first learned the amazingness of a unripe pear and how it’s tenderizing abilities are a little bit magical.

It starts with a couple inches of ginger, a few garlic cloves, half an onion, and half an asian pear. I’ve used north american varieties of pears in the past to make bulgogi beef and they work just as well so if you’re grocery store doesn’t carry asian pears, simple replace it with 1 bartlett pear. Along with that we need a little soy sauce, brown sugar, scallions, and sesame oil. The scallions are simply for marinating so leave them in larger pieces so they can be easily removed. Mix it all and let it marinate for 20-30 minutes covered in the refrigerator.

Cook up the steak on a cast iron skillet in batches so that the meat sears and seals in all those amazing flavors. You want to do this is batches because otherwise you’ll end up with steamed beef and really, that just isn’t pretty or delicious.

While your steak marinates, get the pickled veggie salad going. You’re combining sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, a little salt, 1/4 cup rice vinegar and a little honey in a bowl and adding in sliced cucs and shredded carrots and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator to give it that sweet//salty//tangy flavor. Serious talk. It’s all sorts of addicting. I mean, gimme a fork and watch me go to town.

Here’s how this whole all comes together:

You put a big spoon of warm garlic scented rice in your bowl, top it with the caramelized korean bbq and then comes the pickled veggies, followed by a fried or half-boiled egg and for a hint of freshness we’re doing sliced scallions and jalapeños with a squeeze of store-bought sriracha mayo. You can make it at home too if you’d like but with all the other components you’ve got to prep, ain’t no shame in a little store-bought action.

And when you go in for your first bite, you grab a little bit of eeeeeerrything because korean bbq bowls are meant to be flavor//color//nutrition all packed into every single bite.

It’s warm. It’s comforting. It’s filling.

IT NEEDS TO BE DINNER.

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Yield: 4 servings

Korean BBQ Bowls with Garlic Scented Rice

Hearty Korean BBQ Bowls made with bulgogi beef, garlic scented rice, quick cucumber carrot salad, and half boiled eggs. These bowls are warm, comforting, and LOADED with protein.

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Ingredients

Steak Marinade:

• 1 1/2 pounds flank or sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 asian pear, diced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 tablespoon EACH soy sauce and brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 scallion, cut into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon oil

Garlic Scented Rice:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced (or smashed)
• 1 1/4 cup parboiled rice (see notes)
• 2 1/2 cups warm chicken broth

Cucumber + Carrot Salad:

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup EACH sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots

Instructions

1. STEAK MARINADE: In a food processor combine the pear, garlic, ginger, and onion and pulse until a thick paste forms. In a large bowl, combine the sliced steak, prepared tenderizer, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and scallions. Stir to coat the meat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 20- 30 minutes. When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and 1/2 the meat (do not add the excess marinade) to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the steak is brown and crisp on the outside. Repeat with the second batch.
2. GARLIC SCENTED RICE: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water for 2 minutes, use your fingers to rub the rice to remove any excess starch, set aside. Add the oil and garlic to a skillet and heat the skillet over medium heat. This will infuse the oil with the garlic flavor. You can remove the garlic if you don't want it to be too garlicky at this point. Add the rice and allow to toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently so the rice doesn't stick or burn. Add the chicken broth and allow to come to a boil, stir just once to break up lumps. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow the rice to cook for 12-15 minutes or until the water dries up. Let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
3. CUCUMBER + CARROT SALAD: In a bowl combine the sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, and honey until the honey dissolves. Add the cucumbers and carrots and stir to coat. Allow to marinate for atleast 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. ASSEMBLE: Place the rice in a bowl, topped with cooked steak, cucumber + carrot salad, half boiled egg and sprinkle with sliced scallions or toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with sriracha mayo if desired.

Notes

• This recipe has only been tested with parboiled rice. You can certainly use long grain/ basmati rice but you'll need to adjust the cooking liquid and cooking time accordingly.
• To make your own sriracha mayo: combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2-3 tablespoons sriracha sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a bowl and stir until completely mixed. Use immediately or allow refrigerate until needed. It Will last about 5 days in the refrigerator.

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