Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls

I was soooo proud when I finally made egg rolls. I loved them, and for reason they seem healthier when I fried them myself.

Plenty of ground pork or meat, veggies, and tastiness, and quicker than delivery. Stock your freezer, and dip into a takeout favorite anytime.

The egg rolls can be fried or baked; I tried both methods, and I liked the fried ... of course. The baked egg rolls have a texture more like a Thai spring rolls. The fried taste more like tradiational egg rolls. I recommend making smaller rolls if you are going to bake them. (And try to get your hands of the yummy orange sauce they serve them with at Thai restaurants.)

Ingredients

1 pound meat

2 T. rice vinegar

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 bag (12 oz.) broccoli slaw or 16 oz. finely chopped cabbage

3-4 carrots, coarsely grated

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

coarse salt and ground pepper

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 to 2 cups bean sprouts

3 to 5 mushrooms, finely chopped

20 egg-roll wrappers (6 to 7 inches square)

1 large egg, lightly beaten (for wrapping)

2 to 3 cups (48 oz.) vegetable oil (for frying)

bottled sweet-and-sour sauce and spicy mustard (for serving)

Directions

Brown the meat in a large skillet. Drain off the fat. Add all the veggies. Gently stir fry until the vegetables are softened. Add soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix gently to distribute seasonings. Let cool.

Heat oil (about 1-inch in depth) in a frying pan. Fry eggrolls in small batches until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). You are frying them until they look the way you want them to; the filling is already cooked, so you don't have to worry about food safety issues.

Serve with sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce.

Other ingredients that you can add to the filling are water chestnuts, mushrooms, rice, diced potatoes, or any other vegetables that you like.

To Bake, Not Fry: If you prefer, these egg rolls can be baked. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place egg rolls on sheet and brush with cup oil. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Serve with sweet-and-sour sauce and spicy mustard. If baking from frozen, bake about 15 minutes.

To Freeze: Prepare egg rolls through step 2; freeze in a single layer until firm, at least 2 hours. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 3 months. To fry from frozen, increase frying time in step 3 by about 3 minutes per batch.

Notes by Kathy

Eggrolls freeze well before they're cooked. In fact, we've often been surprised that they seemed to taste even better when we take them straight from the freezer to the frying pan (better than when we cook them fresh, that is).

Cooked eggrolls can also be rewarmed for a tasty snack, although I'm warning you: don't heat them in the microwave. They'll turn into a droopy mess and won't really taste good. Try putting them in the regular oven for a few minutes at 375 degrees.




Rolling Methods and Tips

HOW TO ROLL AN EGG ROLL

1. Filling It Up: Lay 3 or 4 egg-roll wrappers flat on counter. (Keep other wrappers covered with a damp paper towel.) Place 1/3 cup pork mixture in center of each.
2. Folding It Up: Using a pastry brush, wet border with egg. Fold point of wrapper that's closest to you over the pork mixture, and tuck under the filling.
3. Folding It In: Fold both side corners toward center of wrapper (they won't meet in the center). It should look like an open envelope.
4. Finishing It Up: Tightly roll up filled pocket to close wrapper, then gently press down to seal the edges.

ANOTHER SET OF ROLLING INSTRUCTIONS

Put wrapper on a flat surface. Starting at the bottom corner, put about 1 generous tablespoon of filling. Roll upwards until you reach the middle of the wrapper. Fold in the two side corners and continue rolling upwards. Once you have about 1-2 inches of wrapper left, moisten the top sides of the wrapper with water to seal the eggroll. Here is a guided tour of how to fold up an eggroll:

1. Put the tablespoon of filling toward the bottom corner of the wrapper.

2. Fold the wrapper over to cover the filling, and pull it tight with your fingers (this is where having a flexible wrapper comes in handy).

3. Fold the sides of the wrapper in so that they form two parallel lines (much as you would fold a burrito).

4. Roll the wrapper up the rest of the way, keeping it tight. Then seal the remaining open corner with a bit of water, pressing it until it stays closed (believe me, you don't want it coming open while it's frying).