Best Egg Rolls in the Universe

Every Christmas Eve, my mom’s family gets together to celebrate. It’s an informal affair, with every family bringing some appetizers and cookies to share. Last year, I brought a dish that everyone liked- homemade egg rolls. They are more free form, similar to lumpia. I’d love to say I obtained the recipe from an aged Chinese master roller of eggs in Hong Kong, but as most people know, egg rolls are an American invention. Yet here they are, in all their glory! It is my Christmas gift to the world!

Stacy’s Egg Rolls

1 pound ground pork
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons fresh ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 quart oil for frying
1 1/2 (14 ounce) packages egg roll wrappers
1 1/2 cups sweet Thai chili sauce

Cook pork in a large wok over medium-high heat. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot, green bell pepper, onion, garlic and ginger. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and molasses until smooth.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir in cabbage mixture in batches, cooking each batch 3 to 4 minutes, just until tender. Return vegetables to bowl, and mix in pork. Stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Heat 1 quart oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

Place about 1 tablespoon filling on each egg roll wrapper. Fold one corner of wrapper over filling. Fold wrapper sides over filling. Roll wrappers to form egg rolls.

Fry egg rolls in batches in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with sweet Thai chili sauce.