Cucumber and Pork Stir-Fry 黃瓜炒肉絲 (huáng guā chǎo ròu sī) is a very common Chinese home cooking. It’s economical, quick, easy, nutritious and tasty. Cooking with cucumbers is more popular in Taiwan and northern regions of China. You see more dishes using Chinese cucumbers or 絲瓜 (sī guā) aka luffa gourd aka Chinese okra in Cantonese cooking. Luffa are more spongey and soft. There’s also a grassy sweet flavour to it.
The Chinese for cucumbers is 黃瓜 or “yellow melon”. The traditional cucumbers planted in China have a yellow flesh and spikes. But even the cucumbers found in China seem to be paler now than how I remember them as a kid. They also have a bolder flavour than their western counterparts.
Wild cucumbers were first found in the foothills of the Himalayans and were imported into China during the Han Dynasty. They were considered a luxury food item and were only enjoyed by the royal family and nobles. Not long after, the Chinese planted them and they became plentiful and economical.
Now, China is the largest cucumber producer in the world. So, it makes sense that we eat them cooked, raw and pickled. We eat them on their own, with rice and noodles. They are a refreshing accompaniment when eating spicy foods. I especially like adding raw cucumbers to a spicy bowl of Zhajiangmian!
In my Cucumber and Pork Stir-Fry 黃瓜炒肉絲 recipe, I’ll show you how to stir-fry cucumbers in a way that maintains its colour and texture. I’ll also show you how to marinate the pork so that it comes out soft and smooth! This is a versatile dish that can be an appetizer, main dish or topping on noodles. The young and old in your family will love it!
Looking for more delicious vegetable dishes? Check out my Dry-Fried Green Beans 乾煸四季豆 or Water Spinach with Fermented Tofu 椒絲腐乳炒通菜!
Cucumber and Pork Stir-Fry 黃瓜炒肉絲
Ingredients
- 600 g Cucumbers (2 Long English Cucumbers or equivalent)
- 300 g Pork , cut into shreds
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 Chili pepper (optional)
- ¾ tsp Corn starch
- 75 ml Water
- 1 tsp Fish sauce (add after taste testing, may not be necessary)
- 1 tsp Salt for drawing out water from cucumbers
- 3 tbsp Oil
Ingredients for pork marinade:
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp White pepper powder
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Potato starch
- 2 tsp Oil
Instructions
- Optional: peel all or part of the cucumber
- Cut cucumber to desired length
- Slice cucumber into strips and place in a mixing bowl
- Add 1 tsp salt, mix well and let sit for 15 minutes
- Slice pork into shreds
- Add ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp white pepper powder, 1 tsp Shaoxing wine and 1 tbsp water. Mix well by mixing and squeezing the pork with your hands. Continue until all the water has been absorbed by the pork
- Add 1 tbsp potato starch to the pork and mix well.
Potato starch will work best for this application because it leaves a very smooth finish on the pork. However, tapioca starch and corn starch are close substitutes - Add 2 tsp of oil to the pork and mix well. Set aside
The oil helps to lock-in the marinade and adds to the smoothness of the pork - Chop garlic and chili pepper
- Prepare slurry by combining ¾ tsp corn starch and 75 ml (5 tbsp) water. Mix and set aside
- Squeeze the water out of the cucumbers and set aside
- In a wok or pan, heat pan on medium-high or high heat. Add 3 tbsp oil and add pork. Arrange in single layer and let cook for 1 minute
It’s important that you only add the pork when the wok or pan is hot, or else, the water will start separating from the pork, leaving with you soggy and rough pork - Flip the pork over and let it brown for 30-60 seconds until lightly browned. Remove pork but leave oil
- Add garlic and cucumbers to the wok. Stir-fry for approx. 3 minutes
You may also choose to fry garlic first and then add the cucumbers for better aroma - Add chilis and stir-fry for a few seconds
- Add the pork and stir-fry until well mixed
- Stir the slurry and slowly pour into the wok and mix until slurry has thickened. Turn off heat
- Taste test. Make adjustments if necessary. I added 1 tsp fish sauce to give it some extra flavour. You could also add soy sauce or oyster sauce. Mix well
- Serve
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