These egg rolls are still a bit of a work in progress. :D

I'm still messing with the filling a bit, because I think they could be even better! But this egg roll recipe is definitely a good guide for beginners.

And the best part? You can assemble them and then freeze them before frying so you can have egg rolls at any time! You don't even have to defrost them - just cook them a little longer in the oil. :)

Step 1: Ingredients:

1 pound pork, ground
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, grated or minced
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste!)
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
salt and pepper for the pork
oil for frying the egg rolls

I think these would benefit from a little brown sugar too - just a touch!

Next time I make these, I'm going to marinate the ground pork in soy sauce, fresh ginger, and chili sauce the night before. Maybe a tablespoon of each. :D While it was good, it didn't have as much flavor as I'd have liked.

Step 2: Cook the Pork

Bonus credit: marinate the pork in whatever you like over night for extra flavor!

Heat a little oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat and then add in the pound of ground pork. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice powder.

Break it up as it cooks into smaller pieces. :)

Step 3: Add in the Veg and Let It Cook Down

Add in the ginger, garlic, cabbage and carrots. Keep stirring and cooking until the cabbage is nice and wilted. Now turn the heat down to low. :)

Step 4: Season It!

Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar together and pour over the pork and veggies. Stir this in so everything is covered. Turn the heat off and cover the pan and let it sit!

Step 5: Using Rice Paper Wrappers

You can make egg rolls with rice paper wrappers - they taste great, but they don't look very pretty. ;)

You'll want to soak the wrappers in warm water for 15-20 seconds until they're nice and soft - but not longer because they will start dissolving!

Lay the wrapper out flat and then place the filling at one side of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling once and then twice, pushing the air out as you go. The fold both sides into the middle and keep rolling. You can assemble lots of these at once and keep them on wax paper and covering them with damp paper towels before drying.

Keep these as tight as possible - if you leave big air spaces in them, oil will seep in during frying!

You'll fry these at 350-375 F for just a few minutes. Place them on paper towels to drain when they're done. :D

Step 6: Using Refrigerated Egg Roll Wrappers

Take the wrappers out of the fridge a few minutes before frying! You'll want a small bowl of water next to you to help seal them up.

Place a couple of spoonfuls of filling right in the middle the middle of the wrapper. Put some water along the top edges. Fold the wrapper up and over the filling, pressing out any air bubbles and sealing the edges together.

Then put a little water along the bottom edge and fold the sides in. Keep this nice and tight! Now place a little water on the top triangle and roll the filling up and over. :)

Fry these at 375 F for a few minutes, until nice and golden brown. Fry them at a lower temp and they'll bubble up like crazy!

Once they're done, let them drain on paper towels for a couple minutes.

Step 7: Freezing the Egg Rolls

Keep them on wax or parchment paper on a sheet pan and pop them in the freezer. Let them freeze solid like that and then put them in ziploc bags. If you put them straight in the ziplock bags they'll stick together and freeze in one big lump.

Fry them later at 375 F for a couple extra minutes. Ta-daaaa! Egg rolls anytime.

I can't speak to doing the rice paper wrappers this way, but I bet it'd work. :)

Step 8: Eat!

I attempted making my own sweet and sour sauce to go with them from this recipe. If you choose to do it, I'd recommend using a little less cornstarch - if got pretty gloopy.

Enjoy! And if you have any egg roll tips, share them! :D