Deopbap, literally translated as “covered rice,” is a bowl of rice with some sort of topping. It’s a casual one-dish meal that can be prepared with a variety of ingredients. To make this dish with bulgogi, you will need to add a little bit more sauce when cooking the marinated meat depending on how much sauce you want mixed in your rice. Usually, anchovy broth is used for that extra bit of sauce, but you can also use beef broth or even water. Make sure to season the broth so as to not dilute the seasoning of the meat. When the rice absorbs that slightly sweet and savory sauce from the bulgogi, the ordinary steamed rice becomes incredibly tasty. You can add some of your favorite vegetables, while cooking the bulgogi, and make it a perfectly balanced meal.

4 servings

Ingredients:

● 500 grams thinly sliced beef (rib eye or top sirloin)

● 2 scallions cut into 5-cm pieces

● 1/2 small onion thinly sliced

● 4 servings of cooked rice (Use a little less water than usual to cook the rice. Cooked rice should be a little drier than usual since it will absorb the sauce from the topping.)

Marinade:

● 3 tablespoons soy sauce

● 2 tablespoons water

● 1 tablespoon sugar

● 1 tablespoon honey

● 1 tablespoon rice wine (or mirim)

● 1 tablespoon garlic

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

● 2 tablespoons grated

Asian pear (optional)

● 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

● 1/2 - 1 cup anchovy

broth or beef broth

(or simply use water)

● 1/2 - 1 teaspoon soy sauce

● 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sugar

Optional vegetables:

● 110 grams (4 ounces) mushrooms

● 1 small carrot

● (Or equal amounts of other vegetables such as baby bok choy, green cabbage, or bell peppers.)

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

If using packaged pre-sliced meat, separate the slices. Add the marinade to the meat, onion and scallions. Toss gently, with hands, to mix everything well. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat along with any remaining marinade. Cook the meat for about a minute. Then, add the optional vegetables and the desired amount of the extra sauce. Stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes until the meat and vegetables are cooked. Serve over rice.

To see recipe for anchovy/beef broth and others, visit www.koreanbapsang.com.

By Ro Hyo-sun