Kimbap with soy marinated beef

Kimbap, the traditional Korean rice and seaweed is the ultimate shareable snack, especially handy on hikes, at picnics, during road trips or whenever you need something bite-size yet filling. Of course, you can make a whole meal out of kimbap, too. This version, adapted from cookbook author and YouTube star Maangchi, features thin strips of beef in a quick soy-sugar marinade alongside a classic supporting cast of savory ingredients: carrot, spinach, egg and yellow pickled radish. The beauty of kimbap, though, is its adaptability. As long as you have the rice and seaweed, fill the rolls with whatever meat or vegetables you like. (Avoid anything too wet or runny to prevent the rolls from falling apart.) To save time, get the rice going first and prep the other ingredients while it cooks.

Servings: 6 (makes 6 rolls)

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Ingrdients

8 ounces thinly sliced beef, such as ribeye steak or round roast

6 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

4 teaspoons light brown or granulated sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups just-cooked hot short-grain white rice, such as Japanese sushi rice (from about 1 2/3 cups uncooked)

3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

250g regular or baby spinach

6 to 12 strips danmuji (yellow pickled radish), cut into 8-inch long strips

Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 large eggs

6 sheets gim or nori (roasted seaweed paper)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the beef, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, the sugar, soy sauce, one-third of the garlic and the black pepper until the meat is evenly coated. Let marinate while you prep the other ingredients.

In another large bowl, use a rice scoop or wooden spoon to gently stir together the rice, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until combined. Let cool until the mixture is no longer steaming but is still hot, then cover and set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach, pushing it down to submerge and blanch until bright green, about 30 seconds for baby spinach and 1 minute for regular. Drain, then rinse under cold running water until cool. Using your hands, wring the spinach out well. If you use regular spinach, coarsely chop it.

In a small bowl, mix together the spinach, the remaining two-thirds of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Transfer the mixture to a large platter or sheet pan, along with the pickled radish, keeping the individual ingredients separate.

In a large (10- to 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat a few drops of the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring once or twice, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the carrots to the platter with the vegetables. Wipe out the skillet. (You’ll use it for the eggs and steak.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with a pinch of salt. Return the skillet to medium heat. Drizzle a bit of oil into the skillet and wipe out the excess so only a thin sheen remains. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, tilting it so it spreads in a thin layer and fills the pan. Cook until set on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until set on the other side, about 1 minute. (Try to avoid letting the eggs brown.) Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1-1.5cm wide strips and add to the platter. Wipe out the skillet.

Have ready another plate or platter near your workspace. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to the prepared plate.

On a clean work surface (or bamboo mat, if you have one), place a sheet of gim with the shiny side down and a short side facing you. Have ready a small bowl of water nearby. Working with one piece of gim at a time, evenly spread about 2/3 cup of the rice over the seaweed, leaving about a 2-inch border on the short side farther from you. (If the rice is sticking to your fingers, lightly moisten them with water as you work.) Arranging each ingredient in a thin horizontal layer across the width of the rice (it’s okay if they’re stacked or slightly overlapped,) place a few strips each of the beef and egg, about 1/4 cup of carrot, 1 to 2 pickled radish strips, to taste, and 1 to 2 tablespoons spinach in rows across the rice, leaving a border of 1.5 to 3cm of uncovered rice on both of the short sides.

Starting with the side closest to you, use both hands to fold the gim over the filling until it reaches the top edge of the rice; the goal is to have a full layer of rice surrounding all the filling. Press tightly, brush the exposed gim with water to help seal, if desired, then finish rolling into a compact cylinder and arrange seam side down.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form 5 more rolls. Slice each roll into 1.25cm thick pieces and serve.