baked egg rolls

I had been craving the salty crunch of egg rolls ever since I talked with my awesome sis-in-law the other day. She was making egg rolls for dinner and just like that, I had to try to make my own. The power of suggestion is indeed powerful. (Thanks for the great idea, Ada!)

I did a little online searching, taking techniques and tips from Steamy Kitchen and from good ol' Emeril (he's annoying, but he's got some winners -- ever try his key lime pie?) This recipe is kind of cobbled together and improvised, so some measurements are approximate.

baked pork egg rolls

makes a lot (for the freezer)

2 packages egg roll wraps (6x6" square)

1 lb ground pork

cayenne pepper (I didn't measure, but I'll assume 1/4 teas)

salt

1 14oz package of prepared coleslaw veggie mix

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 Tbs fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs cornstarch, divided

1 Tbs sesame oil

vegetable or canola oil

In small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and soy sauce. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cook pork, sprinkled with a dash of salt and the cayenne pepper, until no more pink remains (about 5 mins). Add the coleslaw mix and saute for a couple of minutes. Clear a space in the center of the pan, then add a bit of vegetable oil and saute ginger and green onion for about 30 seconds. Drizzle in sesame oil and stir all ingredients together. Once vegetables have started to wilt, add soy sauce mix and stir to coat well. Remove from heat and spread on jelly roll pan, letting cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a cornstarch slurry by stirring 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1/2 cup water.

Have a couple of damp tea towels ready to cover prepared egg rolls and the egg roll wraps while you are working.

Working one at a time, put 2-3 tablespoons of cooled pork mixture on a wrapper, and using this technique and your cornstarch slurry, prepare all of your egg rolls. Put completed egg rolls on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and keep covered with damp towel. Brush with vegetable oil on all sides, and then bake until nice n' golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve with Chinese plum sauce.

Freeze any leftovers separately on a cookie sheet before putting them in a plastic bag together. To cook from frozen, we've been microwaving them, and their okay that way, but I'm going to try popping them in the toaster oven next time to see if I can retain some crunch.