KOREAN BI BIM BOP

Steps:

• 1) Make a marinade from the 1st 5 ingred. Marinate the raw beef, refrigerated, for at least an hour. 2) Cook the rice according to the package's directions. Make 6 cups cooked rice (that's 1 1/2 cups per person). Use an electric rice cooker. 3) If you use fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut them into thin strips. If you use dried shiitakes, boil 2 cups of water, pour it over the whole shiitakes, and soak them at least 20 minutes. When ready, drain off the water, then and cut them into thin strips. 4) You can either sautee, steam, or blanch the remaining vegetables (except for the cucumber, which you can use raw). If you're sauteeing, cook each vegetable separately in a wok, with just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Sprinkle with a drop of sesame oil and a little soy sauce. Place each vegetable in a separate bowl. If you're steaming or blanching, use a large pot and a steamer basket that's fully open. First lay the julienned carrots and zucchini on each side of the steamer basket. Steam for about 5 minutes, covered, until they become tender but not too soft. Remove from the heat and place each vegetable in a separate bowl. Steam the bean sprouts and spinach separately and place them in separate bowls. Toss each bowl of vegetables with a little soy sauce and a drop of sesame oil. 5) In a large wok, heat just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Stir-fry the beef until it's no longer pink. 6) Cook four fried eggs to each diner's preference. I like mine over-hard, but others may prefer them less well done than that. 7) To assemble the final dish, use four large, flat soup bowls. Place 1 1/2 cups of hot rice evenly over the bottom of each bowl. Make seven spokes radiate from the center of each bowl with each of the seven ingredients: the cooked beef, the carrots, the zucchini, the bean sprouts, the spinach, the shiitakes, and the cucumber. 8) Top each bowl with a fried egg, and let each person add their own hot sauce to taste.