Donabe rice with a crispy bottom, topped with seared steak, fried garlic, green onions and a spoonful of whipped gochujang butter. Mix it all together at the table and eat it while it’s hot.

Ingredients

For the gochujang butter

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp gochujang
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp flaky salt
• ½ tsp fine gochugaru (optional, for more heat)

For the rice

• 250 g short-grain rice
• 375 ml water

For the steak

• 500 g ribeye or striploin
• Salt
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2–3 Tbsp neutral oil

For serving

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Chili threads (optional)

Instructions

1. Take the steak out of the fridge so it sits at room temperature for about 30 minutes before searing.
2. Beat the butter, gochujang, honey and salt with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until light, fluffy and pale orange.
3. Taste and add the gochugaru if you want more heat. Spoon the butter into a container and leave it at room temperature.
4. Rinse the rice 6–7 times, until the water runs clear.
5. Add the rice and water to the donabe and let it soak for 20 minutes.
6. While it soaks, wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and tie the corners at the top. This keeps the steam in while the rice cooks.
7. Dry the bottom of the donabe, set it over an open flame and bring the water to a simmer.
8. Cover with the wrapped lid, turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Cook the garlic and steak in the meantime.
10. Add the oil and sliced garlic to a cold stainless steel pan, then turn the heat to medium.
11. Fry the garlic until golden and lift it out right away, since burnt garlic turns bitter. Set it aside for topping.
12. Turn on the exhaust fan and heat the same oil over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
13. Salt the steak on both sides and sear it for 1–2 minutes per side, pressing it down so it forms a crust. Keep it rare, because it keeps cooking on the hot rice.
14. Rest the steak on a cutting board for 5–10 minutes, then cut it into bite-sized cubes.
15. Drizzle the sesame oil over the rice, cover, and set the donabe back over medium heat for about 5 minutes to crisp the bottom.
16. Move the donabe to a trivet. Scatter the green onions over the rice, then add the steak, fried garlic and 1 Tbsp of gochujang butter. Finish with chili threads if using.
17. Mix everything together at the table so the butter coats the rice, and eat while hot.

Notes & substitutions

Photos