Bibimbap

Mix together 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and half of the garlic in a medium bowl. Break apart the beef with your hands, add it to the marinade and mix well. Set aside. Put the shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and pour hot water over to cover. Set aside to soften for 25 minutes. Prepare a bowl with ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately add to the ice water. Remove again with the slotted spoon, pat dry with paper towels and add to a medium bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil, the gochugaru and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Bring the water in the saucepan back to a boil, add the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately add to the ice water. Place in a strainer and then squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove any excess liquid. Roughly chop, place in a medium bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon sesame oil and the fish sauce. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and saute the zucchini until slightly cooked but crunchy, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and saute the carrots until slightly cooked but crunchy, for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook the kimchi for 2 minutes, add a pinch of sugar, remove to a bowl and set aside. Remove the shiitake mushrooms from the water and squeeze out the excess moisture. Remove and discard the stems and thinly slice the mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Season with a splash of soy sauce, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and cook the beef until crumbled and browned, for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. For the sauce, mix together the gochujang, the remaining garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar and the rice vinegar in a small bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Spread the cooked rice so that it covers the bottom of the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until it crackles and the bottom crisps, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil, add the eggs and fry them sunny-side up. Remove from the heat and set aside in the skillet. Place each vegetable and the beef in its own section on top of the rice, keeping each ingredient separate, until the rice is completely covered. Turn off the heat and serve tableside. Before serving, pour the sauce on top and toss the ingredients together with two large spoons until mixed. To serve, spoon the rice into individual bowls and top each portion with a fried egg, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and slices of nori.