Categories: Beef

Ingredients

• For the Pickled Cucumbers:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 Asian cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small hot red chile, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• For the Beef Skewers:
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp mirin
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 4 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes or Thai chili paste
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 lb sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions

1. Pickle the cucumbers: In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, salt, vinegar and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat until the sugar and salt dissolve; remove from the heat. Put the cucumber, chile and red onion in a medium bowl and pour the hot brine over them. Let cool, then add the cilantro. Chill.

2. Make the beef skewers: In a medium bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, mirin, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Pour half of the mixture into a serving bowl, add the lime juice and reserve as a dipping sauce. Put the beef cubes in a ziploc bag and pour in the remaining marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat. Put in a bowl and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

3. Preheat a grill to high. Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. Thread the cubes onto the skewers, separating each cube with a piece of the scallion. Grill directly over the coals, turning once, until nicely charred, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Sprinkle with sliced scallions. Serve warm or cold with the reserved marinade for dipping and the pickled cucumber and chiles on the side.

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