Korean Blackened Steak with Kimchi Fried Rice

This is my take on a Korean classic. It's not a complicated dish but the timing is everything here. Don't rush this dish--but don't slow down either. Make it like you would a stir fry--bang, bang, bang. I could make a gratuitous joke here but we have a cow to cook.

Skirt(Flank) comes from a well-used part of the cow, so has quite a different texture from more premium steak cuts such as ribeye and sirloin. Since it has more connective tissue (and therefore more flavour), it needs to be cooked quickly over a high heat, as we do here, or braised much more slowly at a lower temperature. When slicing it, always remember to cut ACROSS the grain to maximise tenderness.

Don't forget to pre-cook your rice before you start this recipe! v1.1

Ingredients

• Marinade...
• 4 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean Chilli Paste)
• 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 kg Skirt(Flank) Steak
• Cooking...
• Canola oil (or other high temp oil), for frying
• 400g (3 cups) Kimchi, from a jar, plus 2 Tbsp of the juice
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp Ginger, crushed
• 6 cups Basmati Rice, pre-cooked
• 6 Spring Onions (Scallions)
• 6 Eggs
• Sesame Seeds
• Salt & Black Pepper
• Wasabi Paste
• Soy Sauce

Method

1. Marinate...
2. Halve the steaks, cutting WITH the grain. Put the Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, Gochujang, Rice Wine Vinegar and Brown Sugar into a bowl and mix together. Add the steak and marinate (for a few hours or overnight if possible).
3. Cooking...
4. Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. While the oil is heating, roughly chop the Kimchi, then add it to the pan. Add the Garlic and Ginger, cook stirring for 30 seconds.
5. Add the rice and stir to combine. Slice the spring onions, reserving the green tops for serving, and add to the same pan.
6. Place a high-temp pan over a high heat until it is smoking hot. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it completely dry. Drizzle a little oil on the steaks and rapidly cook them for 4-5 minutes each side until they are blackened on the outside but medium-rare inside. Cover and set aside pan.
7. Place another small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. When hot, crack in the Eggs and fry for 2 minutes, until the whites are firm and beginning to crisp around the edges.
8. Divide the hot rice between serving bowls. Put a fried egg on top and sprinkle with the Sesame Seeds, followed by Salt and Pepper.
9. Finely slice the steaks 45 degrees and ACROSS the grain and place alongside the rice.
10. Sprinkle the reserved Spring Onion greens and serve with a Wasabi Paste in Soy Sauce dip.