Next-Level Pork Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are a staple in Asian cuisine. Typically served as an appetizer or small snacks called dimsum, it comes in many flavors and sizes. Personally, I grew up with one that’s filled with minced pork and root vegetables, with my late grandmother usually including shredded carrots and jicama (known locally as singkamas) in hers. It is always a main dish served with rice in our family as in many other local households, given that it is savory and very filling.
Spring rolls always seemed easy to make, but when I finally started making it on my own, I had two challenges: One, the wrapper always ended up loose, which I was able to address with enough practice. Therefore, in the recipe below, I will show you how to make the rolls tight and snug. Second, and more pressingly, no matter how much I seasoned the meat, it always ended not flavorful enough. No amount of salt could make the umami flavor come out, while using MSG makes the flavor a bit less natural (not to mention a personal preference to do away with it as much as I can). Then in one cooking class I attended last year, I finally found the secret: Shrimps.
I find that shrimp is full of meaty flavor. It complements pork really well: not at all fishy, but more like a friend helping the pork taste its best. Using it also elevates spring rolls to another level, giving it added texture and a bit of elegant indulgence. And the best part is you won’t need MSG!
My grandmother never used shrimp in her spring rolls, but adding it into the filling brings out that natural umami flavor that I—and you, certainly, would always look for. Give this a try and serve it in your next family meal!
Next-Level Pork Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 500 grams minced pork
- 250 grams shrimp, heads and shells removed and then minced
- 250 grams jicama or singkamas, shredded
- 1 medium-sized carrot, shredded
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 24 medium-sized freshly made spring roll wrappers
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl with the tip of your fingers. Do not overmix; otherwise, the filling will not be as juicy and may be a bit tough.
- Lay one spring roll wrapper on a flat surface.
- Place a spoonful of the mixture around an inch to an inch and a half from the lower end of the spring roll wrapper.
- Shape the mixture into a three-inch cylinder.
- Lift the wrapper over the mixture and roll once.
- Fold the wrapper over from the right…
- …and once again from the left.
- Tuck the mixture into the wrapper gently but firmly, and then roll up until around an inch of the wrapper is left.
- Wet the remaining end of the wrapper with water.
- Roll the wrapped mixture over the wet paper, forming a tightly made spring roll.
- Fry the spring rolls under medium heat for four to five minutes on each side. Take out from the oil just before your desired brownness is achieved, as it will continue browning for a bit more from the residual heat. Drain on paper towels.
- TIp: Once all the spring rolls are fried, dip them in the hot oil for another minute to crisp the wrapper more. Drain once again, and then serve warm with ketchup or sugar cane vinegar with finely minced garlic.
As with many other food bloggers out there, I am no chef. I come with no culinary training whatsoever, and so it’s not at all surprising that my kitchen adventures are punctuated by frequent mishaps and blunders. Yet, there are recipes that I seem to make much better than others. And so, after years of prodding from family and friends, here I am, sharing the little that I know.
Why “gourmand,” you ask? Simply because I like making and eating good food. I can eat a lot, too—so there you go!