hello hi everyone! Today we’re adding to our series on food from TV and Film with some inspiration from this Rush Hour 2, which I thought I’d use as an opportunity to take a crack at a request a few folks have asked for now, which is the Chinese Egg Roll. A LOT of folks have also been asking about what the differences are between the Chinese egg roll, a Filipino lumpia, and a Vietnamese spring roll, and after doing a WHOLE bunch of research, I discovered that I honestly have no earthly idea.

What we generally refer to as the Chinese “egg roll” is actually made with wonton wrappers, giving it that super blistered exterior quality that you’ll probably associate with the egg rolls you’ll find at Chinese American places like Panda Express. However! I have been making egg rolls with my family for my entire life, and I have never made an egg roll like this. My family has instead always used a thinner pastry sheet, which you can see in the video is referred to as a “spring roll lumpia wrapper,” which just makes everything even more confusing (is it a spring roll or a lumpia? i have no idea). What’s most important to note though, is that if you want those blistered, puffy “Panda Express” style egg rolls, you should use either wonton wrappers, or wrappers specifically labeled as “egg roll wrappers.” If you want thin, flakey egg rolls, use lumpia wrappers. Hope you try it!

 

Yields about 14-16

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 tbsp (about 1 inch) ginger

  • 8 oz ground pork

  • 1 cup (about 1/4 head) cabbage

  • 2 medium carrots

  • 2 green onions

  • 1 egg

  • 12 oz fryer oil (canola or vegetable)

  • peanut oil

  • sweet chili sauce

INGREDIENTS (marinade)

  • 4 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

  • 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice

  • 1/2 tsp corn starch

  • pinch kosher salt

INGREDIENTS (sauce)

  • 4 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tbso shaoxing wine

  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce

  • 2 tbsp doubanjiang

  • pinch kosher salt

PREP

  • CRUSH and mince the garlic, set aside

  • FINE MINCE the ginger, set aside

  • SLICE the cabbage, set aside

  • PEEL and fine julienne the carrots, set aside

  • SEPARATE the whites and greens of the green onions, then slice thinly on a bias, set aside

  • WHISK the egg, set aside

  • COMBINE the ground pork with all marinade ingredients, and let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour

  • COMBINE all sauce ingredients, set aside

ON THE STOVE

  • HEAT a wok as hot as possible, then add 4 tbsp peanut oil and long yao

  • ADD the garlic and ginger and bloom until fragrant (about 10 seconds)

  • ADD the ground pork and toss for 2-3 minutes until browned, then remove and set aside

  • WIPE down the wok, reheat, and add an additional 2 tbsp of peanut oil

  • ADD the carrots and the whites of the green onions, and saute for 1-2 minutes

  • ADD the cabbage and ground pork back to the wok, and toss to combine

  • ADD the sauce mixture 1/4 cup at a time to taste

  • REMOVE from heat and set aside

  • WIPE down the wok, then add 12 oz of fryer oil and heat to 350F

  • ADD about 3 tbsp of the filling (for the large lumpia wrappers) or 1 tbsp (for the small wonton wrappers), then fold in the corners and wrap tightly

  • BRUSH the final corner with egg wash before sealing, and resting with the egg washed corner facing downward

  • FRY in batches for 1 1/2 minutes, then remove and rest for 5 minutes

  • FRY AGAIN for an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown

  • SERVE with sweet chili sauce

 

tagged with woo can cook, egg rolls, lumpia, spring rolls, rush hour 2, chinese food