Gimbap / Kimbap (Korean dish)

Happy Friday!  Let's relax and have something special.  I have been  busy with packing for removal this week. This morning I prepared my gimbap lunch box.  Also I bought a pack of fried chicken and a can of beer.  Tasty! Today is a happy day!  Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

Ø  3 sheets of seaweed  

Ø  1 cup cooked rice

Ø  250g beef frying steak (sliced, about 0.5 cm x 6 cm)

Ø    ¼  pickled daikon radish (cut into matchsticks)

Ø  6 strips of yellow pickled radish (cut into matchsticks)

Ø  60g baby spinach

Ø  ½ cucumber (cut into matchsticks)

Ø  ¼ red pepper (cut into matchsticks)

Ø  1 egg     

Ø  1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

Ø  2 tsp soy sauce

Ø  1½ tsp salt

Ø  ½ tbsp sesame oil

Ø  ½ tsp vegetable oil

Method:

1.	Add ½ tsp salt and sesame oil into the cooked rice and stir well.  Let it cool down and set aside.
2.	Crack an egg in a bowl and add a tiny pinch of salt into it, then use a fork to beat them together.  Put a small non-stick pan over low heat and spray oil on the pan.  Pour in the egg and tilt the pan immediately so the egg coats the entire bottom.  Let it cook in 1-2 minutes.  Flip it over with a spatula and cook until it is well done. Gently slide the egg on a chopping board and cut it into long skinny strips.  Make sure they are pretty even in length.  Set aside.
3.	Meanwhile, cook the carrots.  Spray oil on a pan over medium heat and put the carrots into the pan.  Add a tiny pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of water. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is cooked.  Set aside.
4.	For the baby spinach, spray oil on a pan over medium heat and add baby spinach.  Add 1 tbsp of water and cover for 1 minute until it is done.  Set aside.
5.	Then cook the cucumber, spray oil on a pan over medium heat and add cucumber.  Add a tiny pinch of salt and fry until it is done.  Set aside.
6.	Marinate the steak with soy sauce, garlic, ground black pepper, sugar, and sesame oil.  Spray oil on a pan over medium heat and cook the steak until well done.
7.	Roll the gimbap: place a seaweed sheet on a bamboo mat and spread half of the cooked rice evenly onto the seaweed, leaving 4-5 cm at the top. Place the strips of the veggies, egg and beef onto rice.  Roll the bamboo into a long roll by first folding the bottom third in then roll it up. It should look like a tube of some sort. Now remove the roll from the bamboo. Use a serrated knife to cut the roll into 8 rounds.  Wipe and clean the knife occasionally with a wet paper towel in order to have cuts easily.

Korean Kimchi Burger with spicy Mayo

I love Korean food.  Today I make a Kimchi burger for lunch.  I will make Kimbap next week.

Korean Kimchi Burger with spicy Mayo

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serve: 2 persons

Ingredients:

Ø  180g beef (minced)

Ø  1 garlic clove (finely grated)

Ø  ½ tsp fresh ginger (finely grated)

Ø  2 tbsp breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)

Ø  ½ egg (beaten)

Ø  1 tsp soy sauce

Ø  ½ tsp brown sugar

Ø  1 tsp olive oil

Ø  2 soft large seeded burger buns (halved)

Ø  2 iceberg lettuce leaves

Ø  90g kimchi (canned)

Ø  1/8 tsp grounded black pepper

Ø  ¼ tsp white wine

Ø  ½ shallot (finely grated)

Ø  1 tsp corn flour

Ø  6 tbsp light mayonnaise

Ø  2 tbsp gochujang (spicy Korean chili paste) 

Method:

1.	Divide the 90g kimchi into 3 equal portions.  Take one portion and minced for seasoning the beef.  Squeeze out a bit of kimichi juices before mincing.  Shredded 60g for topping and set aside.
2.	Place the beef, minced kimchi, garlic, ginger, breadcrumbs and shallot in a big bowl. Season with soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, white wine, shallot and corn flour.  Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Overmixing makes the meat tough.
3.	Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions.  Shape each portion with hands into a patty about 7 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick.
4.	Put the patties on a plate.  Cover with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
5.	Preheat the oven at 140°c.  Place the burger buns on a tray in an oven for 5 minutes until a bit crispy.
6.	Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.
7.	Transfer the patties onto a plate, set aside and keep warm.
8	For the gochujang-mayo sauce – Mix the gochujang and mayo sauce in a bowl.
9.	Generously spread the bottom halves of the toasted burger buns with gochujang-mayo sauce.
10.	Top with the patties, lettuce and shredded kimchi and cover with the burger bun tops.
11.	Serve with salad or chips.

Tips:

1.	It is important to use mince from a cut of meat that has a little fat. This will not only add flavour, it also ensures a tender burger by preventing the patties from drying out during cooking. However, mince that is too fatty will expel the excess fat during cooking, causing the patties to shrink and toughen considerably.
2.	Flavors vary between different brands of kimchi. Some are too salty and spicy. Adjust seasoning as necessary.