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Bulgogi—whose name translates to “fire meat” from Korean—is a classic dish of thinly sliced, marinated meat, cooked quickly over high heat to achieve deep flavor and tender texture. In tonight’s take, we’re marinating beef in soy-based yakiniku sauce before stir-frying it with spicy Korean chile paste and nutty soba noodles. A topping of vinegar-marinated cucumber and radishes balances the flavors of the stir-fry.

Ethan Mick

with Marinated Vegetables

Bulgogi Beef & Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Thinly Sliced Beef

Soba Noodles

Radishes

Carrot

Cucumber

Scallion

Cilantro & Mint

Rice Vinegar

Yakiniku Sauce

Gochujang

Sesame Oil

Ingredients

Fill a medium pot with water; add **a pinch of salt** and heat to boiling on high. Using your hands, separate the **sliced** **beef**; pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add **half the yakiniku sauce** and toss to thoroughly coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes.

Marinate the beef:

While the beef marinates, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the cucumber, leaving alternating strips of skin intact; [halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.](#) Cut off and discard the ends of the radishes. Quarter the radishes lengthwise. [Cut off and discard the root end of the scallion; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottom and green top.](#) [Peel the carrot](#) and grate on the large side of a box grater. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.

Prepare the ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine the **cucumber**, **radishes**, and **half the vinegar**; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Marinate the cucumber & radishes:

While the cucumber and radishes marinate, add the **noodles** to the pot of boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under warm water to prevent sticking. Return to the pot and add **half the** **sesame oil**. Toss to thoroughly coat.

Cook the noodles:

While the cucumber and radishes continue to marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat the **remaining sesame oil** on high until hot. Add the **marinated beef** in a single layer; cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Add the **white bottom of the scallion** and **carrot**. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or the beef is just cooked through.

Cook the beef:

To the pan, add the **cooked noodles**, **remaining yakiniku sauce**, **remaining vinegar**, **2 tablespoons of water**, and **as much of the gochujang as you’d like**, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring vigorously, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and the noodles are coated. Turn off the heat; stir in the **cilantro**. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the finished stir-fry and **marinated cucumber and radishes** (including any marinating liquid) between 2 dishes. Garnish the stir-fry with the **green top of the scallion**. Garnish the cucumber and radishes with the **mint** (tearing the leaves just before adding). Enjoy!