Pork Stuffed Cucumbers

Pork stuffed cucumbers is one of the dishes that I know very well as I always make it.  All the cooking steps are pretty much in my head.  Every time when I make this dish, I don't need to have a recipe in front of me.  Since I want to show you how I prepare it, I wrote down every step so that you can follow if you are interested.  For a Western style, this dish can be served with pasta sauce.   For an Asian style, the pasta sauce can be replaced by the oyster sauce gravy.  A bread crumb coating can prevent the meat from sticking to the pan when pan frying, and cucumbers from becoming soggy.  I didn't make the pasta sauce from scratch.  I just bought it instead. 

Ingredients
1 English cucumber - peeled
1 egg
8 oz ground pork
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Pinch black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry parsley
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon oil
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons oil - for pan-frying

Oyster sauce gravy
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch

I use this tiny juice squeezer to cut out the center

Stuff the pork mixture into the hole and spread over the surface

Done with the stuffing step

Pork mixture covers the surfaces on both sides

Drop the stuffed-cucumber into the bread crumbs

I use the remaining pork mixture to make some meatballs.

I don't like to touch raw meat with my bare hands.  I always wear 

 disposable gloves when I handle raw meat.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix ground pork with egg, garlic salt, black pepper, dry parsley and 1 tablespoon of corn starch until well combined.  Set aside.
3. Cut cucumber crosswise into 3/4" lengths.
4. Remove seeds from the center by using a cylinder cutter or knife. 
5. Stuff pork mixture into the holes of the cucumbers and spread some over the surfaces on both sides.
6. Put bread crumbs in a shallow dish.
7. Drop the stuffed cucumbers into the bread crumbs until they are covered with bread crumbs.  
8. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat.  
9. Put the stuffed cucumbers in the oil and pan fry both sides until slightly brown.
10. Transfer stuffed cucumbers to a baking sheet.  Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
11. Place the stuffed cucumbers on a serving plate and serve with pasta sauce or oyster sauce gravy.

Oyster sauce gravy

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix well.  Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and serve.