Pork Spring Rolls

Fried Spring Rolls

Every time my family goes to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn, we always order spring rolls. It’s become a tradition-the fried spring rolls filled with pork that comes on a bed of lettuce and dipping sauce on the side. I never knew the name of the sauce, but it tastes like a lighter version of duck sauce. It’s sweet and almost clear. When the waiter brings the dish to the table, immediately all conversation stops and hands begin to move towards the hot plate. It’s a perfect amount for sharing-8 rolls for our four person family, 2 per person. We each take one and grab a lettuce leaf, wrap it quickly around the crispy roll and then dip the product into the sweet sauce. It’s a great combination.

My fondness of spring rolls led to my own successful attempts of homemade spring rolls. I love the crispy outside and delicate inside and wanted to make this appetizer on my own. The result was terrific. It was quick and easy to make, and tasted great the next day after they were reheated in the oven. This would be great for potlucks or as a light evening snack. If you take a trip to any Asian market, you will find spring roll wrappers, which is essential for the rolls (sometimes the packages may be labeled “egg roll wrappers”). I bought a few packages, varying brands. I noticed that once opened, the skins/wrappers dry quickly, so it would be best to use up all the skins in a package once it has been opened. If you do have any extra wrappers, place them in an air-tight bag. I’ve been using a cabbage and ground pork mixture (below), but next time I’ll experiment with ground turkey.

Ingredients:

1 package Spring Roll Wrappers, room temperature
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
8 oz ground pork
1 medium cabbage, sliced and rinsed
1 package mushrooms
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt, red pepper flakes, garlic powder

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot (you will need a large pot because the cabbage will cook in here as well).
Add chopped onions. Saute for about 2 minutes and then add soy sauce, ground pork, and spices. Cook until meat is slightly brown. Be sure to mix meat so it is evenly cooked.
Add sliced cabbage and carrots and cover pot. Allow the cabbage to steam for about 8 minutes or until volume has significantly reduced.
Add mushrooms and stir. Add additional seasonings if desired.
Spring roll filling: cabbage, pork, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and spices
Once meat and veggies are fully cooked, turn off heat and allow contents to cool down. This filling mixture can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated until ready to place inside spring roll skins.
Once filling is cooled, open package of spring roll wrappers and separate the skins.
Spring roll skins
Place one skin on a flat surface and spoon filling (1 tsp should be enough) on the skin. Wrap the skin according to package directions (it is very similar to wrapping a flour tortilla for a burrito).
Continue filling the skins and wrapping them until all skins and/or filling is finished.
Neatly assembled rolls ready for deep frying!
Heat oil in a deep frying pan. I usually used a deep cast iron pan.
When oil fully hot, gently place the assembled spring roll in the hot oil, with the flap face down. Gently turn over spring rolls when it is brown on one side. This should take no more than 1 minute.
Place fried spring rolls on a paper towel so excess oil can be absorbed.
Serve hot and enjoy! Leftover spring rolls can be refrigerated and re-heated in the oven until crispy.