Measure the rice and place it in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water and make a swirling movement with your hand. Don't scrub the rice.  Strain the water and repeat this process 3 more times. The last water won't be crystal clear, but that's the way it is supposed to be.  Strain the rice and remove the water, and immediately place the rice back into the bowl.

Measure the water that will be used for cooking, and pour it over the rice. Let it soak for 30 minutes.

After the soaking time, transfer the rice and water to a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and immediately turn down the heat to the minimum possible. Cover and simmer gently until all the water has evaporated. Watch closely, mine took about 5 minutes!

Turn off the heat and let it sit for an additional 15 minutes, covered, to finish cooking.

Stir the rice after it has finished cooking so that the moisture is evenly distributed.

Now you can marinate the meat. Mix all the marinade ingredients with the meat and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Wilt the mung bean sprouts, drain them and immediately immerse them in cold water to stop cooking. Drain again. Season with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Use the same process for the spinach.

Sauté the remaining vegetables very briefly (they should remain crunchy), one at a time, in a pan that has been lightly greased with sesame oil, over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside separately.

Use the same pan to sauté the meat over high heat until cooked through.

Combine all ingredients and set aside. This sauce is served separately, according to each one's taste.

Make a "bed" of steamed rice. The amount is up to you, it’s usually ½ to 1 cup per serving.

Arrange the warm prepared vegetables on top of the rice, side by side, around the pot, as shown in the pictures. If you want to be authentic, arrange similar colors opposite to each other. The meat can go in the middle or along with the vegetables.

Finally, place the fried egg, or raw egg yolk (if using) in the middle carefully so that the yolk doesn't break and serve.

For Dolsot Bibimbap (cooked in a stone pot), brush some sesame oil at the bottom of the stone pot or skillet. Then add the rice and all the other ingredients as above.

Put a raw egg yolk in the center of the dish.

Heat the pot on the stove top over medium heat without a lid. In approximately 5 minutes, it will start to sizzle. It will take about 10 minutes in total to cook, but depending on your stove it may take more or less time. So keep an eye on it, you want the rice at the bottom to form a thin, crunchy layer, but you don't want it to burn!

The heat of the pot will cook the yolk through when you mix everything at the time of eating.

Bibimbap is traditionally eaten with a spoon. Add some sauce to the bowl, mix everything together thoroughly and enjoy!