Korean Pot Rice with Steak (Sotbap)
This Korean pot rice with steak (sotbap) is a simple one-pot meal made with fluffy short-grain rice, seared beef, and a savory Korean-style sauce. Comforting, flavorful, and easy to make on the stovetop!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (185 g) uncooked short-grain or medium-grain rice
- 1 piece (approx. 10 cm square) dried sea kelp
- 1 tbsp (14 g) butter
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Korean tuna sauce or tsuyu
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cooking oil
- 10 cloves garlic sliced, optional
- 12 oz (315 g) beef steak ribeye, NY strip, or sirloin
- 1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) steak rub or salt & pepper or soy sauce to season
- 3-4 green onion finely chopped
- 1 raw egg yolk optional
Topping sauce
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce low sodium preferred
- 1/2 tbsp (7.5 ml) Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse Korean short-grain rice until the water runs mostly clear. Soak it in water with a small piece of dried kelp (dashima) for 30 minutes. After soaking, reserve 1 cup of the soaking water to use for cooking, and drain the rest.
- In a thick-bottomed pot or donabe, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the soaked rice and stir gently for 1–2 minutes until the grains look slightly dry and coated.
- Pour in the reserved 1 cup of soaking water and about 1 teaspoon of Korean tuna sauce (or tsuyu). Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 12 minutes.Optional: For a crispy bottom (nurungji), continue cooking for another 5 minutes on very low heat.
- While the rice is simmering, fry sliced garlic in a bit of oil over medium heat until golden and crisp; set aside. Season your steak with your favorite steak rub, salt and pepper, or soy sauce. Sear the steak in a hot pan until browned on the outside but still slightly underdone inside. Rest the steak for a few minutes, then slice.Tip: Slightly undercook the steak—it will finish cooking in the pot with the rice.
- When the rice is done, turn off the heat. Layer the hopped green onion, and sliced steak on top of the rice. Add a dab of butter if desired. Cover again and let it steam for 2 minutes with the residual heat.
- For topping sauce: In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, gochugaru, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, to make a savory Korean-style sauce for serving.
- To serve: Sprinkle the fried garlic and place a raw egg yolk on top of the pot rice for a rich, creamy finish (highly recommended!). You can mix everything right in the pot or scoop the rice and toppings into a bowl, drizzle with the sauce, and stir well before serving—either way, it’s delicious.If you’ve made nurungji, pour a little hot water into the pot and let it steep—this makes a warm, nutty rice tea often served at the end of a Korean meal.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1808mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2347IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 4mg