Egg rolls are a versatile food. They can be a snack, an appetizer, or a meal. The fillings are infinitely customizable, so you can make the egg rolls to fit your taste and/or dietary needs. Of course that is, if your dietary needs include anything that gets fried in hot oil!
Instead of using pork, you could substitute ground chicken or ground turkey. If you are a vegetarian, substitute in tofu, or leave it out and double the veggies. Egg rolls are so easy to customize to individual tastes. And making them at home is so much more satisfying than buying them from the frozen foods section of the grocery store, especially because you know exactly what is in them!
Begin by marinating the pork. Even 10 minutes of marinating helps the meat have a much better flavor. Mix together cornstarch, soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and some sugar.
Pour the marinade over the meat and mix together gently.
Next brown the pork in a skillet. Alternatively, you can cook the pork in the wok after cooking the garlic and ginger. I like to cook it separate so that there is less fat in the wok with the veggies as they cook.
After the pork has cooked, drain off the fat and set it aside. Then, get to work preparing the veggies.
Shred the carrots, chop the green onion, and shred the cabbage. Make sure the cabbage is cut really thin if you are chopping by hand. I recommend a food processor or box grater for the carrots.
Next, prepare the sauce ingredients.
Mince up the garlic and ginger first. Then, get everything else over next to the wok so that you can add them as needed. Begin by heating up a small amount of oil. Add in the ginger and garlic. Cook and stir for about one minute. They will become very fragrant, and you want to be careful not to let them burn.
Next, add in all of the vegetables. Stir fry those for about 1 to 2 minutes.
They will cook down slightly as you are stirring. Add the sauce ingredients, and cook and stir another minute or two.
After that, spread the vegetables out on a big plate or a sheet pan to cool. Tilt the plate/pan slightly so that the excess liquid will drain off. If you don’t drain off the liquid, the egg rolls will be soggy. You may even want to squeeze the cooked vegetables a little to remove any extra liquid.
Mix together the cooked pork and vegetables in a large bowl. If you happen to have a little helper around, that’s always useful!
Now, you’re ready to roll! Get the wrappers ready. They are delicate, so make sure that you handle them carefully. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling slightly below the center of the wrapper. Fold up the bottom corner, and roll about halfway up. Then, fold in the sides and continue rolling. As you approach the end, wet the edges lightly with water so that the wrapper will stick to itself. Do your best to make sure there are no air pockets or gaps in the wrapper. Air pockets will prevent the roll from cooking properly or even make it burst. Any gaps in the wrapper will let oil into the filling, and that will cause a soggy mess. Just take your time, and they will turn out nicely.
Place them on a plate and cover while you continue to roll the rest. You can refrigerate them up to 4 hours before frying, or even stick them in the freezer to fry at a later date.
If you are going to freeze them, you don’t even need to thaw them before cooking. They’ll just take a little bit longer to cook in the oil, and the wrappers will get a little more crispy. Fry them at 350 degrees F for a couple minutes, until the wrappers are cooked to a light golden brown and the filling is piping hot.
Enjoy the egg rolls after they have drained on paper towels. Serve with a side of dipping sauce. I recommend either citrus marmalade, sweet chili, or sweet & sour sauce. To make citrus marmalade sauce, take a small amount of marmalade and mix it with enough fresh lemon juice to make a sauce.
Pork Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 to 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger about 1/2? piece
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 package of egg roll wrappers
Instructions
- Mix together soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and sesame oil. Pour over ground pork and gently mix together. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes. Cook the pork in a skillet until browned. Drain off fat and set aside.
- In a wok or large saucepan, heat oil. Add ginger and garlic, cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetables; cook and stir another 2 minutes. Add wine, soy, salt, and a little black pepper. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and spread vegetables out on a large plate or sheet pan. Tilt pan to drain off excess liquid. Cool about 15 minutes. Discard liquid.
- In a large bowl, mix together pork and vegetables. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in wrapper and roll up, sealing edges with a small amount of water. Cover rolls until ready to cook, or place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze.
- When you’re ready to cook the egg rolls, heat at least 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Cook a few rolls at a time until a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels momentarily before serving. Allow oil to reheat a few minutes between batches. Serve hot with sides of dipping sauces.
Adapted from Steamy Kitchen and Nasoya
June 4, 2011 at 12:06 pmLooks like an eggsalent! recipe. I like spring roll wraps much better as an alternative,
June 25, 2011 at 8:56 pmI haven’t ever tried spring roll wraps… Will have to do that in the future!
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