Stir-Fried Beef and Cucumber: A Delicious Side Dish & Bibimbap Delight!
Stir-Fried Beef and Cucumber: A Delicious Side Dish & Bibimbap Delight!
Stir-Fried Beef and Cucumber: A Delicious Combination of Beef and Cucumber! Even Better Enjoyed as Bibimbap!
Today, I stir-fried beef and cucumber with a savory soy sauce-based seasoning. Have you ever tried stir-fried cucumber? I hadn’t really considered cooking cucumber this way before, but I heard it’s delicious when salted and then stir-fried! Moreover, stir-frying it with beef doubles both the flavor and nutritional value. It’s tasty enough on its own as a side dish for rice, but I decided to elevate it into a bibimbap by adding some gochujang. The combination of the soy sauce-based stir-fried beef and cucumber with the spicy gochujang turned out to be surprisingly fantastic. This recipe offers a wonderful balance of textures and flavors, making it a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in multiple ways.
Main Ingredients- 1 Korean cucumber (choose a fresh and firm one)
- 1 paper cup of ground beef (you can use bulgogi-cut or stewing beef, finely ground)
- 1 egg (optional, for garnish)
Seasoning Ingredients- 5 Tbsp soy sauce (use regular soy sauce, not soup soy sauce, for better sweetness and flavor)
- 2 Tbsp oligosaccharide (can substitute with sugar, but oligosaccharide provides a nice gloss and mellow sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (adds a nutty aroma)
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce (use regular soy sauce, not soup soy sauce, for better sweetness and flavor)
- 2 Tbsp oligosaccharide (can substitute with sugar, but oligosaccharide provides a nice gloss and mellow sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (adds a nutty aroma)
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the cucumber thoroughly. For this recipe, I’m using a Korean cucumber (Baek-oi) whose skin is tender, so I’ll be leaving the skin on. Leaving the skin on allows you to absorb more of the cucumber’s vitamins and nutrients. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then use a teaspoon to gently scoop out and discard the seeds. Removing the seeds will help prevent the cucumber from releasing too much water when stir-fried, resulting in a cleaner texture. Next, thinly slice the cucumber into approximately 0.5 cm thick pieces. Slicing them too thickly might result in longer cooking times.
Step 2
Place the sliced cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Gently toss to combine. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to salt and draw out moisture. Give it a stir or two during this time to ensure even salting. Once the cucumber has softened slightly, squeeze out as much water as possible by hand. This salting and squeezing process removes excess moisture, preventing a watery dish and ensuring a crispier texture when stir-fried.
Step 3
Now, let’s prepare the delicious seasoning for our beef and cucumber stir-fry. To achieve a deep and rich flavor, combine 5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oligosaccharide for a smooth sweetness and gloss, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for its wonderful nutty aroma, and 1/2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds for added texture. Mix all these ingredients well in a small bowl until the seasoning sauce is evenly combined.
Step 4
Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and begin to stir-fry. Once the beef starts to turn white on the surface, add the prepared seasoning sauce. Continue to stir-fry, ensuring the sauce coats the beef evenly. If you’re pressed for time, you can marinate the ground beef in the seasoning sauce for about 30 minutes beforehand; this will allow the flavors to penetrate more deeply into the meat, enhancing the overall taste.
Step 5
Once the beef is cooked through and coated in the sauce, add the squeezed cucumber slices. Stir-fry quickly over high heat. Cucumbers can become mushy if overcooked, so a rapid stir-fry is key to maintaining their crispness. Continue to stir-fry for just another 1-2 minutes, allowing all the ingredients to meld together beautifully, until the delicious beef and cucumber stir-fry is complete.
Step 6
Serve this delightful beef and cucumber stir-fry over a bowl of warm rice as a fantastic side dish. The savory beef and crisp cucumber create a truly addictive combination that pairs wonderfully with rice. For an even more special meal, try turning it into a bibimbap! Place the stir-fry over rice, add a dollop of gochujang (Korean chili paste), a drizzle of sesame oil, and mix everything together. The spicy and sweet flavors will meld into a wonderfully satisfying one-bowl meal. If you’ve never stir-fried cucumber before, you’re in for a delicious surprise! Salting and then stir-frying the cucumber perfectly seasons it and preserves its satisfying crunch. The savory beef complements the cucumber wonderfully, making it an ideal side dish, or combined with gochujang, it becomes a hearty and fulfilling meal. Especially during hot weather, when you want something simple yet flavorful, this beef and cucumber stir-fry is a perfect choice. Give this recipe a try; you won’t regret it!
