No one can resist the thin and crispy outer layer of a freshly cooked spring rolls. Whenever my husband orders Chinese takeout, his meal comes with a spring roll. I frown at that spring roll because I know the texture of it pales in comparison to fresh ones. So, I asked Mama Lin to show me how to make homemade pork spring rolls. That way, I can make them more often at home! Although there are quite a few steps, once you get the assembly line going, they are straightforward to make.
SPRING ROLL VS EGG ROLL
In America, I often see the phrases “egg roll” and “spring roll” referring to a food item that looks very similar: vegetables and meat rolled into a wrap and deep fried. Egg rolls just happen to be slightly bigger. The Chinese phrase for this food item is chun juan (春卷), which literally translates into “spring roll” in English. In Chinese the phrase, “egg roll” (蛋卷) actually refers to something that looks very different to spring rolls. They’re thin cookies that are rolled into a cigar shape. Some of the posts I read online suggest that egg rolls are more of an American Chinese creation. For the purpose of this post, I will call these “spring rolls,” because that’s what I would say in Chinese. I should also note here that when I say “spring rolls,” I’m not referring to the Vietnamese-style fresh spring rolls that are wrapped in rice paper. I know, it is all quite confusing sometimes.
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY VEGETABLE & PORK SPRING ROLLS
Prep the Filling
You’ll need to par-cook the vegetables and meat to ensure that the filling is cooked through when you deep fry the spring rolls. The Made In Blue Carbon Steel Wok is great for stir frying the filling because the wok heats up quickly and it can hold a considerable amount of ingredients inside the wok.
Rolling the Spring Rolls
Take an 8-inch sheet of the spring roll wrapper and lay it down in a diamond shape. Place a few tablespoons of filling about 2 inches away from the bottom corner. Then, start rolling everything towards the center. Once you get to the center of the wrapper, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper towards the center. Brush the top corner of the wrapper with egg wash and roll up the spring roll.
Frying the Spring Rolls
Fill your wok with some peanut oil. Mama Lin and I love frying the spring rolls in the Made In Blue Carbon Steel Wok because of its narrower base. Whenever you fry food in a wok, you want to cover the bottom of the wok with several inches of oil. That gives space for the food to move around and fry evenly. Because Made In’s wok has a tapered, narrower base, you can cover the bottom of the wok a lot quicker. In other words, you end up using less oil for deep frying. Fry the spring rolls for about 4 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Made In’s wok retained heat quite well, so we didn’t adjust the heat on the stove much as we fried the spring rolls. Once the spring rolls are done, transfer them to a baking sheet or large plates lined with paper towel to drain. It will be hard to resist picking them right off the baking sheet! Note: This spring rolls recipe was sponsored by Made In Cookware. For more information, visit them on their website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook!
