Get Bowled Over
There’s no argument that bowls are a huge trend in the food world today. From chef-driven menus to the frozen food section at your favorite grocery store, bowls filled with all kinds of things have become a favorite meal for many.
I am no different. Give me a bowl filled with rice and topped with vegetables, meat — or sautéed veggies alone — some kind of sauce, and I’m one happy diner.
I think the greatest bowl of all time is found in Ducktown, Tenn., at Rod’s Rockin’ Rolls — the Crispy Shrimp Asian Bowl. It’s a surprising place to find one of the best bowls you’ll ever have, but every time I drive down Highway 74 on my way to North Carolina, I try to make it a point to time my trip during the restaurant’s opening hours.
Recently, though, I found a recipe that rivals Rod’s bowls. I’m not saying it’s better, but it’s equally as good, and I don’t have to travel to Ducktown to get it when I want to get bowled over.
This Korean beef bowl is simple to make with basic ingredients — a pound of ground beef, some fresh ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and soy sauce, and you’re ready to roll. Or bowl, as the case may be.
Korean Beef Bowl
1 pound lean ground beef
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably Kikkoman’s
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 green onions, chopped, divided
4 cups hot cooked rice, white or brown
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring and crumbling into small pieces until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess grease and return pan with ground beef to the stove. Stir in garlic, ginger and sesame oil and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper. Cook until beef absorbs some sauce, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 of chopped green onions. Serve over hot cooked rice; garnish with sesame seeds and remaining green onions.
