Beef & Braised Burdock Kimbap with Rolled Omelette

Method

1. Scrape the burdock skin off with the back of a knife, cut it into thin matchsticks 10 cm long and 4 mm thick, and soak in cold water for 5 minutes so it doesn't brown. Drain, then stir-fry in a 20 cm frying pan with a little oil over medium heat for 3 min until slightly translucent.

   Add in this stepBurdock root 80 gCooking oil ½ tbsp

   medium heat

2. Add the soy sauce, sugar and water and simmer over medium heat for 10 min until the liquid has almost gone. Add the syrup, turn up to medium-high heat and toss for 2 min until glossy. Spread on a plate to cool.

   Add in this stepSoy sauce (for the burdock) 1 tbspSugar (for the burdock) 1½ tspWater (for the burdock) 100 mlRice syrup or corn syrup 1 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-high heat

3. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, cut out the seeds, sprinkle evenly with the salt and leave for 10 min. Wrap in paper towel and squeeze firmly. It stays crunchy and won't make the rice soggy.

   Add in this stepCucumber ½Salt (for the cucumber) ½ tsp

4. Mix the beef with the soy sauce, sugar, garlic and pepper. Wipe the pan, add a little oil and stir-fry the beef over medium-high heat for 3 min, breaking it into small crumbs with a spatula. Keep going until every bit of liquid has evaporated and the beef looks dry and crumbly, or the roll will turn soggy.

   Add in this stepMinced beef 100 gSoy sauce (for the beef) 2 tspSugar (for the beef) 1 tspMinced garlic ½ tspBlack pepper 1 pinchCooking oil ½ tbsp

   medium-high heat

5. Beat the eggs with the salt until smooth and pass through a sieve. Lightly oil a 18 cm frying pan (a rectangular omelette pan is even better) and, over low heat, pour in the egg in three additions, rolling each layer over the last to build a thick omelette (6 min in total). Wrap in the bamboo mat to square it off, let it cool, then cut into 1.5 cm sticks. If they are shorter than the seaweed, lay two end to end.

   Add in this stepEggs 3Salt (for the eggs) 1 pinchCooking oil ½ tbsp

   low heat

6. Season the rice with the salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds using cutting strokes, then spread it out to cool for 4 min. Rice cooked with slightly less water than usual keeps the grains distinct.

   Add in this stepWarm cooked short-grain rice (cooked slightly firm) 400 gSalt (for the rice) ½ tspToasted sesame oil (for the rice) 1½ tspToasted sesame seeds ½ tsp

7. Lay a seaweed sheet rough side up and spread about 200 g of rice thinly, leaving 4 cm bare at the far edge. Lay two overlapping perilla leaves as a bed, put the beef on them, then stack the burdock, omelette stick, cucumber and radish. The leaves stop the beef seasoning soaking into the rice. Use the mat to wrap and squeeze the filling once firmly, then roll to the end.

   Add in this stepSeaweed sheets for kimbap 2Perilla leaves 4Yellow pickled radish strips (danmuji) 2

8. Brush the outside with sesame oil and leave seam-side down for 5 minutes so the seaweed sets. Slice 1.5 cm thick with a sharp, wet knife and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame oil (for brushing) 1 tspToasted sesame seeds ½ tsp