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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.
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2
Put the cucumber, chile and red onion in a medium bowl and pour the hot brine over them.
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3
Let cool, then add the cilantro.
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4
Chill.
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5
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.
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6
Pour half of the mixture into a serving bowl, add the lime juice and reserve as a dipping sauce.
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7
Put the beef cubes in a zip-top bag and pour in the remaining marinade.
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8
Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat.
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9
Put in a bowl and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
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10
Preheat a grill to high.
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11
Drain the meat, discarding the marinade.
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12
Thread the cubes onto skewers (1 to 4 per skewer), separating each cube with a piece of scallion.
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13
Grill directly over the coals, turning once, until nicely charred, about 3 minutes per side.
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14
Sprinkle with sliced scallions.
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15
Serve warm or cold with the reserved marinade for dipping and the pickled cucumber and chiles on the side.
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16
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill.
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17
Photograph by Antonis Achilleos
