Short Beef and Cucumber Stir-Fry

Wef you have abundant cucumbers, this tender beef and cucumber stir-fry is a steady rice bowl dish to have for a direct, short weeknight meal. Enjoy the crunchy texture of cucumbers with tender beef in a mellow soy sauce seasoning; all within 20 minutes.

You might think it is weird to stir-fry cucumbers but the stir-fried cucumbers are quite tasty and still remains its crunch texture. This beef and cucumber stir-fry recipe can assure you that.

We made an unfussy stir fried beef and cucumber the other day. We seasoned the thin slices of beef with Korean flavored sauce, then stir-fried with cucumbers and some red chilies.

This beef and cucumber stir-fry will be a steady unfussy meal for a warm day and it is direct and short to make.

If you have a ton of garden fresh cucumbers, consider making cucumber kimchi or spicy cucumber salad — a great way to use up the cucumbers!

Recipe Tip

In order to maintain the crunch texture of cucumber, toss with salt for a few minutes before you add to the stir-frying. That will extract some moisture out of cucumbers and help retain its crispness.

How the dish comes together

Remove the cucumber seeds and slice thinly.

Add a little bit of salt, toss, and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Slice your beef into thin matchsticks against the grain.

Add the Korean soy sauce for soup, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and pepper. Toss them well and set aside.

Squeeze out the cucumber slices to remove the moisture.

Then stir-fry in a little bit of oil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the skillet.

Stir-fry the beef and red chili (if using) until the beef is no longer in pink.

Add the cucumber slices and toss all together. Sprinkle some sesame seeds at the end and it is good to go.

Enjoy the crunch deliciousness of cucumber and the tender Korean flavored beef. You will definitely need some rice to serve with.

We think we can eat this again and again and will never get tired of. Hope you guys give it a shot. It is unfussy, short and savory, good for you kind of stir-fry. So why not?

• Yield: 2 people
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For stir-fry

• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced thinly
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 red chili, seeded and slice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

For beef

• 1/2 lb beef sirloin or striploin, thinly sliced into match sticks
• 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• dash black pepper

Method

1. Place cucumber slices in a bowl and add the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the cucumbers to remove the moisture.
2. For the beef, combine beef with Korean soy sauce for soup, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and pepper in a small mixing bowl; set aside.
3. For the stir-fry, heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the cucumber slices and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove the cucumbers and set aside.
4. Add the beef and red chili slices to the skillet and stir-fry until they are just browned. Return the cucumbers and toss with beef and chili. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve with rice.