First published February 17, 2012
Last February, I wrote about these delicious nibbles on my blog.
It’s a funny story about how egg rolls became such an important part of my life.
Let me give you the cliff notes version of this recipe’s history: Rebecca and I met in 1994 while working in the same department at Kohl’s Department Store and we became the best of friends through our mutual hatred of Levi Bendover pants and flatulent customers (long story).
In December 1996, my ex-husband and I were invited to Rebecca’s home for a Christmas party, and let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve attended a party within a Filipino home. I’ve never met so many lovely people in one place in my life. We felt like family from the first party, and each party has felt like a family reunion.
However, the true star of the party was the Filipino egg roll, also known as lumpia. I’ve requested her egg rolls for a variety of occasions since that party, including but not limited to:
birthday parties
birthday gifts
baby showers
baby shower gifts
Christmas parties
Christmas gifts
summer get-togethers
fall get-togethers
random Friday dinners in the spring
Until Rebecca sat down with my mother and me one day in 2006 and taught us how to make lumpia for ourselves.
I thought I could render these into a four-ingredient recipe for a Super Bowl celebration.
So, without further ado, here’s Rebecca’s four-ingredient Filipino egg rolls.
I’ll include her original recipe at the end of the post as well.
Rebecca’s Egg Rolls (Lumpia) (Four Ingredient-Style)
1- egg roll wrappers (spring roll wrappers) only used one package for two pounds of pork, so adjust the amount to your needs. I get my wrappers from the Asian grocery store down the street, but if you don’t have one nearby, you can try your local grocery store, usually in the produce section because they are refrigerated.
2- ground pork Here is my math: one pound for a family of 2-3; two pounds for a family of 4-6; anything larger and I would get 3-4 pounds.
3- 1 large onion Diced tiny.
4- 2 Tbsp. of oyster sauce and a dash of garlic powder
Rebecca adds sweet potato if desired.
Also, our friend Yvette suggested that I could make this a vegetarian recipe by omitting the meat and replacing it with potatoes, green beans, garlic, and onions.
The egg roll wrappers must be thawed for 30 minutes before use. Remove them before browning the pork. Or you could brown the pork the day before and refrigerate it before assembling the egg rolls the next day. I’ve tried both methods and believe that making the pork ahead of time is preferable.
So, assuming you browned the pork first, add the onion when the pork is completely browned, followed by a dash of garlic powder and 2 tablespoons oyster sauce. Cook for a few minutes longer to allow the flavor to settle in. Allow to cool before storing in Tupperware in the fridge overnight.
After the wrappers have thawed for 30 minutes, take out a sharp knife, a cutting board, two dampened paper towels, and your pork. I’ve also prepared a plate to place the egg rolls you’ve already assembled on. This is how your setup will look:
The wrappers will then be divided into two triangle pieces.
When you look at your wrapper, it will resemble a triangle with the point at the tip.
Tuck the right and left sides in and roll up.
Wet the edges to seal with water (I keep a little in a dish next to me).
Place on a plate, as shown above, and repeat until you are finished.
Then I put them all in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer until you’re ready to fry them.
Once the oil is hot, add five to seven egg rolls to the pan and fry until golden and crispy.
You can eat these plain, but we prefer to dip them in apple cider vinegar, thanks to a tip from Rebecca’s husband, Bernie.
Or, as we like to refer to them, our family.
I absolutely love those four people.
Rebecca’s Original Recipe
- 1- egg roll wrappers
- 2- ground pork
- 3- 1 large onion, diced tiny.
- 4- 2 Tbsp. of oyster sauce and a dash of garlic powder
- The only thing extra that Rebecca would add would be sweet potato, diced small
- Also, you could make this a veggie recipe for omitting the meat and using potatoes, green beans, garlic, and onions.
- You will need to thaw the egg roll wrappers before you use them (at least that is how my wrappers come from the store) for 30 minutes. So bring them out before you brown the pork. OR you could brown your pork the day before, put it in Tupperware in the fridge and assemble the egg rolls the next day. I have done both ways, and I think it works better to make the pork ahead of time.
- So assuming you browned the pork first, add the onion when the pork is completely browned, then add a dash of garlic powder and 2 tbsp. of the oyster sauce. Mix and cook a little longer to let the flavor set in. Set aside to cool, then put in Tupperware in the fridge overnight.
- After the wrappers have thawed for 30 minutes, get out a sharp knife, a cutting board, dampen two paper towels and get your pork out. I also have a plate ready so you can put the egg rolls you already assembled onto.
- Cut the wrappers on the diagonal so you have two triangles. Take a tablespoon of the meat and line it along the bottom of the wrapper opposite the pointy angle. Roll it up and fold in the sides, kind of like folding a burrito. Place on a plate and repeat.
- I recommend you freeze these before heating. You can freeze in a giant freezer bag.
- When ready to cook, heat about two cups of olive oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, place four to five egg rolls in the pan. Fry until both sides are golden. Place on a paper plate to drain the grease.
- Serve with vinegar.
Years ago, I worked with a Filipino gal who made these to share with us all the time. They are sooo yummy. Thanks for the recipe share!
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Awesome post! Now I want some eggrolls! Will you make some for me? 🙂 Next time, pancit!
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Aww, Rebecca, you KNOW you still make the best egg rolls. And yes, Pancit next time!
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Stumbled onto your blog and just wanted to show yous some blog luv! def enjoyed this post 🙂 and those look so YUMMY!!!http://infinitelifefintess.comhttp://mscomposure.blogspot.com
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oh man this looks so delicious, I'm an egg roll fiend. I'm your newest linky follower I hope you'll stop by and do the samemarissahttp://raegunwear.blogspot.com
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I am a Filipino and I am glad to see your version and they look fantastic. You remind me that I have never eaten these in a while. Now, I have to get some ingredients and start wrapping. 😀
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Btw, we have a great virtual party, too, called Fiesta Friday. I hope you check it out. 😉 http://fiestafriday.net/
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I will add that party to my Bloglovin’ feed. Thank you for sharing!
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I love Filipino food so much that my best friend says I am an adopted member of the family.
Thank you for visiting and I hope you come back!
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These sound so delicious – and simple! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party!
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They are a bit time-consuming to assemble but they are worth it. Thank you for having me!
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Reblogged this on .
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Hmm I wonder if this Irish chick can pull this off one day. I assume the shells are flour so I cannot eat them but I have learned to live vicariously through my gluten loving family (OK that is a lie). My fam has not met a food group they don’t like- except Tank. He steers clear of fruit and veggies in general.
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The rice spring roll wrappers are gluten free but the ones we use for this recipe I believe have wheat in them. But look online because you can find gluten-free egg roll wrappers there.
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Mmm, now I’m craving some kind of delicious ethnic food. I’ve never had these, nor any kind of Filipino food. I might have to do some Google searching. Speaking of ethnic food, have you ever tried Pupasita Express in RLB? Their papusas and empanadas are SO good!
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Yes! But the one in LZ though. Very good!
You will love Filipino food and I can see you making this and many other recipes very easily. (Look up pancit, it’s SO good)
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The one that’s in RLB was the one that used to be in LZ – they moved! OK, going to look up pancit. 🙂
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Yes! That’s what I meant. 😂😂
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