Name: Caramelized Pork and Cucumber Stir-Fry
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 1 large slicing cucumber, peeled in alternating lengthwise strips, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, halves sliced crosswiseon a diagonal ½" thick; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce; 2 Tbsp. soy sauce; 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry; 1 lb. ground pork; 3 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided; 1 Fresno chile, seeds removed, thinly sliced; 1 1"-piece ginger, peeled, finely grated; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; ½ tsp. freshly ground white or black pepper; Steamed white rice (for serving)

Caramelized pork and cucumber stir fry recipe

Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

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