Week 54, Recipe 1: Pork Egg Rolls

Not the best picture, but you get the idea!

NOTES

• I've never made egg rolls before so wasn't sure what I was getting into. They turned out really good!
• You can make the filling ahead of time then just roll and fry. This would make it a quick 15-20 minutes prep when you're ready to eat.
• I would have used a deep fat fryer (yikes!) if I had one but frying them on one side in a large skillet then turning them to fry on the other side worked well.
• Original recipe from Martha Stewart
• I haven't tried, but the original recipe said you can freeze the egg rolls. I froze them after frying them and then just plan to reheat in the oven. Not sure if I'll thaw them partially or completely before reheating. I think you could also freeze them before frying. I would then thaw them in the fridge overnight then fry.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 6 cups (48 ounces) vegetable oil
• 1 napa cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
• 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound ground pork
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 16 egg-roll wrappers (6 to 7 inches square)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten and place in a small bowl or shallow cup

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. In a large skillet, cook pork until it is no longer pink then add cabbage, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing, until vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and cook, tossing, until liquid has mostly evaporated (3 to 5 minutes),

2. Mix in scallions. Transfer mixture to a plate to cool then drain any excess liquid. 

3. Lay wrappers flat on a work surface. Brush beaten egg on edges with a pastry brush. (There should be instructions on the egg roll package but if not, place it on the counter with a corner at bottom. Place filling just above that bottom corner then fold in bottom corner up over filling, tucking corner under the filling. Then fold in side corners toward center of wrapper then roll up tight from bottom to top corner).

4. Cover the bottom of a skillet with 1/2-inch of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Fry egg rolls, in batches of 4, until lightly browned. Turn over using a tongs and fry on the other side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.