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Spicy Ground Pork and Cucumber Stir-Fry

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes

Equipment

  • large wok

Ingredients

Stir-Fry

  • 2 pounds garden-fresh cucumbers
  • 2 t kosher salt
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 4 scallions
  • 1 t crushed red pepper flakes

Marinated Pork

  • 1 t tamari
  • 1 t dry white wine
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 1 t fish sauce
  • 1 t cornstarch
  • 1 pound ground pork

Sauce

  • 1 T water
  • 1 T rice wine vinegar
  • 1 T tamari
  • 2 t toasted sesame oil
  • 1 t cornstarch

Instructions

  • Prep the cucumbers - Trim the cucumbers by slicing off the ends and peeling lengthwise, leaving stripes of cucumber skin. Cut the cucumbers in half vertically, and scoop out the seeds. Place the cucumbers cut-side down and slice across each half, angling your knife by about 30 degrees so that the slices are on the bias, creating more surface area.
  • Prep the aromatics - Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Trim the scallions and separate the white from the green parts. Slice the white parts across and set aside. Slice the scallion greens diagonally into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
  • Marinate the pork - In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon each of tamari, wine, oil, fish sauce and cornstarch. Then add the pork and stir gently to distribute the marinade through the pork. Refrigerate for no less than 30 minutes.
  • Make the sauce and drain the cucumbers - In a small bowl, whisk together 1 T water, 1 T rice vinegar, 1 T tamari, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside. Rinse the cucumbers under cold water. Drain well, and pat dry.
  • Stir-fry - Heat the wok until it's smoking hot, then add 1 t oil. Add the pork, spreading it out and patting it down with your spatula. Let it cook, undisturbed, for a minute or so, creating some crispy edges. Then break it into pieces and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from the wok. Add the garlic and white parts of the scallions and stir-fry for about 30 senconds. Add the cucumbers and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Return the pork to the wok and pour in the sauce. Continue cooking and stirring until the cucumbers are coated and glossy, just a minute or two.
  • Finish - Remove from the heat and garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and scallion greens. Serve with rice.