Professional chefs have long noticed that beef goes well with cucumbers - fresh, pickled, pickled. Today, the secrets of this culinary tandem are readily used by supporters of balanced nutrition, who prefer to see in their diet not only nutritious, but also delicious dishes. Beef is prepared with cucumbers both as a cold appetizer and as a hot dish for the second.
Beef salad with cucumbers
Ingredients:
- beef - 200 g;
- fresh cucumbers - 200 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- mustard powder - 1 tsp;
- sesame oil - 2 tsp;
- sugar - 1 tsp;
- soy sauce - 1 tablespoon;
- vinegar 9% - 1 tsp;
- meat broth - if necessary;
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
- fresh herbs for decoration;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the meat in salted water, cool and cut into strips or fiber. Peel the onion, cut into half rings and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Pass the garlic cloves through a press. Combine meat, garlic, fried onions, season with sesame oil and soy sauce. Set aside for now and take care of the cucumbers.
Wash the cucumbers, cut lengthwise and then across into thin strips. Pour in salted water (0.5 tsp per glass of water) for 3-5 minutes, then discard in a colander so that the water glass. Add the cucumbers to the meat. Add sugar, mustard, salt and pepper, stir. If the salad is dry, pour in a little broth. Put the prepared salad in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs before serving.
Hot beef with pickles
Ingredients:
- beef - 800 g;
- onions - 2 pcs.;
- pickled cucumbers - 4 pcs.;
- bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
- 20% cream - 1 glass;
- ghee butter - 40-50 g;
- starch or flour - 1 tsp;
- natural honey - 0.5 tbsp;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Peel the onion and chop smaller, set to fry in a deep frying pan. Cut the meat into small cubes and attach to the onion, add honey. Fry everything over high heat. Do not salt, otherwise the beef will immediately let the juice out, the recipe assumes at this stage to "seal" it, i.e. fry until crust, not simmer. If you are using frozen meat, be sure to defrost it and dry it slightly (you can put it in a colander and wait until excess liquid drains from it).
When the meat is covered with an appetizing crust, pour 700 ml of water or broth (vegetable or meat) into the pan, salt and pepper to taste, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes over low heat. After this time, add finely chopped pickles and bay leaves to the meat and simmer for another 15 minutes.
At the end of cooking, pour the cream into the pan, to which starch or flour has been added (to thicken the broth). Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Serve hot beef with cucumbers with mashed potatoes or braised beans.
