My bottle of Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce is the security blanket of my condiment cabinet. The glossy Chinese condiment includes sugar, salt, cornstarch, and oyster flavoring (made from reduced oysters) and is anything but subtle. It brings a huge punch of umami-rich, sweet-meets-salty flavor to anything it touches. (And, accordingly, a little bit of the stuff goes a long way.) It’s like four sauces in one. I like to stir some into a stir-fry sauce, as I do here, but on nights when I’m feeling extra-lazy, I simply drizzle a little oyster sauce right out of the bottle over anything from quickly sautéed hearty Asian greens to seared tofu. —Christina Chaey
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What you’ll need
Large Skillet
$74 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
1
1
2
2
2
1
3
1
1
2
½
Preparation
Step 1
Toss cucumber slices and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to coat evenly. Let sit until cucumber slices start to release their liquid, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, stir oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine in a small bowl to combine; set aside.
Step 3
Using your hands, form pork into five or six small patties. Season lightly with salt; set aside.
Step 4
Drain cucumber slices in a colander and rinse well under cool running water. Drain, shaking off any excess water, then pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Step 5
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook cucumber slices, tossing vigorously, until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
Step 6
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. Add reserved pork patties; gently flatten with a spatula. Cook, pressing occasionally to help meat make contact with pan, until deeply browned and crisp underneath, about 4 minutes. Flip patties; cook until other side is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Break up pork into large pieces; continue to cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add chile, ginger, garlic, and white pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cucumber back to skillet along with reserved sauce. Cook, tossing often, until sauce is reduced and evenly coats pork and cucumber slices, about 1 minute. Serve stir-fry with rice.
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Reviews (40)
Back to TopVery tasty. Hubby used up the cucs, so I used zucs instead, adding a big white onion to increase the veg as others suggested. Increased the ginger, garlic and sauce ingredients, with a splash of black vinegar for brightness. Topped with small pieces of a very ripe tomato before serving. A big hit.
Mugifer,
Bellingham, WA
9/1/2023
this was quite yummy. I increased the amount of lemongrass, and added a chopped jalapeno with seeds. since I was cooking for one, instead of making 12 think patties, I made 4 thicker burgers. Next time I will try the 12 patties, perhaps freezing the ones I'm not going to cook. I didn't want to crank up the grill, but turned up the burners high and used a cast iron skilled which left it charred to perfection. My lettuce had seen better days, so I served with broken rice and stir fried vegies. Definitely a keeper.
Valentina Rossi
Los Angeles
7/12/2023
I really love this recipe and have made it multiple times. I hadn't previously used cucumber in this way, or cooked for that matter, so it was nice to add to my knowledge of versatility in preparation. I haven't found it salty, but thats because I usually add extra veg. I almost always include edamame and some chopped baby bok choy, yu-choy or gai lan. Making some extra sauce to toss some unseasoned ramen, udon or egg noddle nests in to serve the veg over is a really great alternative to rice. Recipe with a great base that can be manipulated and made more nutrient rich.
Shannon
Milwaukee, WI
4/16/2023
This was so delicious! We couldn't believe how delightfully crisp and flavorful the cucumber turned out, and that pork is dangerously good. I like my food heavy on salt, so thought this was perfect. My husband thought it was on the salty side.
Kat
New Hampshire, United States
9/10/2022
Yeah, I think I definitely oversalted it. Good, though, served with a bowl of rice. Will make again, but rinse cucumbers thoroughly, be judicious with the salt on the pork, and the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Needs a green served with it; bok choy or green beans would be nice.
AliceK
Pittsburgh, PA
8/6/2022
Like many of the reviews, this dish is on the salty side but I'm about it! The patty construction and then breaking it apart while cooking gave the meat a nice density to the bite. I appreciated the technique. Wouldn't have thought cooked cucumber would be yummy but it was! A super easy and cheap recipe that saved me from ordering take-out down the street. It satiated exactly what I needed after a long work week. Thanks!
Anonymous
Queens, New York
6/11/2022
Great recipe! I did not find the dish too salty, especially when served with white rice. The only change I made was a light splash of rice vinegar, just for personal taste. For anyone confused about the pork patty step, it's to create more surface area for browning. If you're rushed on time or it's just not that big of a deal to you, it can be skipped. Personally I feel that it adds a lot to the dish. A great weeknight recipe.
Michelle B.
Tucson, AZ
3/10/2022