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Bibimbap-Inspired Grilled Cheese Sandwich

bibimbap grilled cheese sandwich
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Bibimbap in Sandwich Form; Pure Bliss!

This gourmet grilled cheese sandwich is sweet, savoury, salty, and sour; just like the dish that inspired it; dolsot bibimbap! Bibmbap is a Korean rice dish cooked in a stone bowl with sautéd vegetables, topped with pickled vegetables, an egg, and some gochujang sauce.
This sandwich includes sourdough bread that is grilled on both sides, mimicking the crispy texture of the bottom layer of rice in bibmbap. The sourdough's fermentation also adds a tang to the sandwich which can also be found in bibimbap.
The sandwich also includes carrots and spinach to represent the sauteed vegetables, some pickled bean sprouts and cucumber, and it's topped with an egg and gochujang. Bibimbap in a sandwich form; pure bliss!
 

Special Equipment: A Vacuum Chamber! 

I utilized a vacuum chamber in order to instantly infuse the cucumbers and beansprouts with the apple cider vinegar; rapid pickling! While you can let the vegetables soak in the apple cider vinegar in the fridge overnight; the vacuum chamber allows the flavour of the vinegar to fully penetrate the cucumbers and beansprouts.
Don't confuse a FoodSaver vacuum sealer with a vacuum chamber. FoodSavers can not effectively vacuum seal liquids and you wouldn't achieve the compression effect that makes instant pickling possible. Interested in a vacuum chamber? Check out my review of the VacMaster VP215 here. 
Skill Level
Intermediate
Course
Main, Snack
Cuisine
Korean 
Serves
2
Print Recipe
Skill
Intermediate
Course
Main, Snack
Cuisine
Korean 
Serves
2
Print Recipe
INGREDIENTS
RECOMMENDED KITCHEN EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
VacMaster VP215 Chamber Vacuum Sealer
Vacuum Chamber
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Assist Handle Holder, 12', Red Silicone
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
12-Inch Cast Iron Pan
INSTRUCTIONS
 
Pickled Cucumber and Bean Sprouts (If You Own a Vacuum Chamber)
  • Place cucumber, bean sprouts, and apple cider vinegar into a vacuum pouch. Place pouch in vacuum chamber and run a vacuum cycle. Once the cycle is complete, you can use the pickles immediately or refrigerate them sealed for up to 24 hours.
Pickled Cucumber and Bean Sprouts (If You Don't Own a Vacuum Chamber)
  • Instead of placing the apple cider vinegar, cucumber, and bean sprouts in a vacuum chamber bag, you can place them in a bowl. Let them pickle overnight in the fridge.
Cheese and Gochujang
  • Mix together aged white cheddar, gruyère, and gochujang in a small bowl.
Browning the Bread
  • Preheat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Spread mayo on one side of each of the slices of sourdough bread.
  • Place two slices of sourdough bread into the frying pan, mayo-side down. Push bread down with spatula to ensure it makes good contact with the skillet.
  • While bread is browning, spread mayo over the top-facing side of the sourdough bread.
  • Once bottom side of sourdough bread is browned (~3 minutes), flip the bread over and brown the other side for about 3 minutes, then remove bread from pan.
Cooking the Egg
  • Add 1/2 tbsp butter to nonstick skillet and heat over low heat.
  • Crack an egg into the skillet and cook until whites are set. Flip egg and cook briefly. You are going for an over-easy texture with a yolk that will run when broken.
Assembling and Cooking the Sandwich
  • Meanwhile, spread cheese and gochujang mixture over both pieces of toasted bread.
  • Layer shredded carrot, pickled cucumbers and beansprouts, and spinach onto one slice of toasted bread.
  • Return slice of the toasted bread with layered ingredients to the cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
  • Cut the egg in half and quickly layer onto the toasted bread inside the skillet.
  • Complete the sandwich by adding the other slice of bread, face-down, to the slice inside the skillet.
  • Push sandwich down with hand or spatula, and cook each side of the sandiwch for a couple minutes to allow cheese to melt.
  • Remove sandwich from skillet, cut in half, and enjoy!
  • Repeat sandwich assembly instructions for the second sandwich.
    Bibimbap-Inspired Grilled Cheese Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
RECOMMENDED KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
Best Vacuum Chamber

VacMaster Vacuum Chamber

Check out the VacMaster VP215 Chamber Vacuum Sealer on Amazon

INSTRUCTIONS
 
Pickled Cucumber and Bean Sprouts (If You Own a Vacuum Chamber)
  • Place cucumber, bean sprouts, and apple cider vinegar into a vacuum pouch. Place pouch in vacuum chamber and run a vacuum cycle. Once the cycle is complete, you can use the pickles immediately or refrigerate them sealed for up to 24 hours.
Pickled Cucumber and Bean Sprouts (If You Don't Own a Vacuum Chamber)
  • Instead of placing the apple cider vinegar, cucumber, and bean sprouts in a vacuum chamber bag, you can place them in a bowl. Let them pickle overnight in the fridge.
Cheese and Gochujang
  • Mix together aged white cheddar, gruyère, and gochujang in a small bowl.
Browning the Bread
  • Preheat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Spread mayo on one side of each of the slices of sourdough bread.
  • Place two slices of sourdough bread into the frying pan, mayo-side down. Push bread down with spatula to ensure it makes good contact with the skillet.
  • While bread is browning, spread mayo over the top-facing side of the sourdough bread.
  • Once bottom side of sourdough bread is browned (~3 minutes), flip the bread over and brown the other side for about 3 minutes, then remove bread from pan.
Cooking the Egg
  • Add 1/2 tbsp butter to nonstick skillet and heat over low heat.
  • Crack an egg into the skillet and cook until whites are set. Flip egg and cook briefly. You are going for an over-easy texture with a yolk that will run when broken.
Assembling and Cooking the Sandwich
  • Meanwhile, spread cheese and gochujang mixture over both pieces of toasted bread.
  • Layer shredded carrot, pickled cucumbers and beansprouts, and spinach onto one slice of toasted bread.
  • Return slice of the toasted bread with layered ingredients to the cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
  • Cut the egg in half and quickly layer onto the toasted bread inside the skillet.
  • Complete the sandwich by adding the other slice of bread, face-down, to the slice inside the skillet.
  • Push sandwich down with hand or spatula, and cook each side of the sandiwch for a couple minutes to allow cheese to melt.
  • Remove sandwich from skillet, cut in half, and enjoy!
  • Repeat sandwich assembly instructions for the second sandwich.
    Bibimbap-Inspired Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Keith
Keith
3 months ago

Nice! I just got my Control Freak and maybe this will be my first project!

Reply
victoria
victoria
3 months ago

5 stars
I was so disappointed when Earls took bibimbap off their menu!! I’ve resorted to making it at home. I wonder if you could add some crispy rice to this sandwich ?

Reply

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