Stir-Fried Cucumbers & Beef

Cooked cucumbers sound wrong until you try them. Then you wonder why you spent years eating them only raw.

This Korean stir-fry starts by salting thin cucumber slices to draw out their water, then wringing them dry in a towel so they’re flexible and concentrated in flavor.

Julienned beef gets a fast sear with garlic, then the cucumbers join for just a brief toss before everything gets hit with a finishing mix of sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, scallions, soy sauce, and ground chili.

Light, snappy, and deeply savory with that signature Korean sesame warmth in every bite.

Chef Tips

• Don’t skip the salting step. Squeezing out the water is what keeps the cucumbers from turning your stir-fry into soup. You want them pliable, not soggy.
• Cut the beef into thin julienne strips for quick, even cooking. Slightly freezing the beef for 20 minutes makes this much easier.
• Keep the cucumber stir-fry time very short. They only need seconds in the wok. You want them warm and barely wilted, not soft.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden and fragrant before adding them. Raw sesame seeds have half the flavor.