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Homemade Egg Rolls

Homemade Egg Rolls - Sounds difficult, but it isn't.  Of course there are a lot of steps involved, and I break the work up into sections so I don't burn out.

The Recipe -

3 - Meaty Spare Ribs

1 1/2 Each - White Onion

2 Each - Garlic Cloves

2 lbs - Uncooked Extra Large Shrimp

2 Each - Large Savoy Cabbages

5-Spice Powder

Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Egg Roll Wrappers

Grape Seed Oil

The day before making the egg rolls, I cook the ribs.  I rub kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and 5-spice powder.  Don't go over-board on the 5-spice powder - Use just a sprinkling.  Slice a clove of garlic and half a white onion and place under and all around the ribs.

Fold the packet up and place into 250 degree oven for 3-4 hours.  You want to cook them long enough to melt the collagen and fat.  

Let the packet cool for an hour and then place in the refrigerator for the night.  Bring it out the next day and open it up.  Yes - it looked like a hot mess, but hang in there - all will be good.

Pull the meat off the ribs and cut the fat off then chop into small pieces.

The bottom of the savoy cabbage has thicker flesh than the top.  Slice the bottom first and cook it first - because it needs to saute longer than the top of the cabbage.

Cut the core our and cut the cabbage into thin slices.

Use a unflavored oil - I'm using grape seed oil.  Sprinkle with a couple rasps worth of garlic (Use a large garlic clove - parsed out throughout all of the batches), salt, fresh cracked pepper and 5-spice powder.  Saute until crisp tender.  Taste each batch for salt, pepper, and 5-spice powder - adjust.  After sauteing, put the batch into a colander that is placed over a bowl to drain.

This is important - there is nothing worse than moisture hitting the oil, when you're cooking the egg rolls, and getting splattered.  Drain everything before putting into a large bowl for mixing - I let it drain while I'm cooking the next batch.  That gives it enough time.

Here's what was left in the bowl - that is a lot of dangerous moisture.  Most of it was from the shrimp - but there was quite a bit from the cabbage and onions.

Chop and saute 1/2 white onion using the same technique - garlic salt, pepper and 5-spice powder.

Mix all the ingredients together and take taste of the mixture.  This is your last chance for tasting.  Once the shrimp are in the mixture - you can't taste any more.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp.  Even if the package says that the shrimp is de-veined, the tail end usually has some junk still.  Cut the end and clean yuck outta there.

With frozen shrimp - you never know what you're going to get.  If they over processed it with salt - you won't know until you try it.  Saute a piece and taste it to check.

The Tasting As You Go Stops Here!

Chop and saute the shrimp just enough to get the salt, pepper, and 5-spice powder are distributed and the the moisture has cooked off for the most part.  The shrimp is basically raw - don't taste it.  If you've seasoned every thing else, your egg rolls will be great.

 Allow shrimp to drain well prior to adding the the mixture.  I use my hands to mix everything together.

Time to roll the egg rolls.  Place a scant 1/4 cup of the mixture into the middle of the wrapper.  The first fold is from the bottom up - pull the contents of the egg roll with the wrapper to make sure there is a nice tight roll.

The second and third folds are from the sides - making sure that there are no gaps at the bottom.

Roll carefully and tightly - put down on the seam side.

I use the same oil to saute the egg rolls.  Start seam down to seal them.

Just turn and saute the egg rolls - turning 1/4 turn each time.  If you do one side and then the other side - you end up with flat egg rolls and you will have a terrible time sauteing the sides.

Place the sauted egg rolls onto a paper towel to drain - sprinkle with salt immediately.  I use a fork and knife to eat these - biting into a hot egg roll can be very painful.  I love Chinese mustard, but there are some very good egg rolls sauces you can purchase.

I make one package (20) of egg rolls at a time.  I place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  I place them into the freezer and allow them to freeze separately before placing them into plastic bags.  

I put them into a cardboard box and place it into the freezer so they don't get damaged when someone is going through the freezer looking for something.

When I use them from the freezer, I use a lower temperature to cook them - just under medium.  I cover the saute pan, but I open the vent in the lid a little so that the egg rolls thaw and cook yet get crisp.

A lot of work - maybe - but they are worth it.