Chef's Eggrolls Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely shred the cabbage and place it in a large bowl. Add shredded carrot and sliced green onions. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the cabbage and vegetables, toss and let sit 5–10 minutes. Then squeeze or press the vegetables firmly in a clean towel or between your hands to remove excess moisture. Removing moisture prevents soggy eggrolls.

Cook pork

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil (use part of the frying oil if desired). Add ground pork and break into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is a lot.

Flavor the filling

Push the cooked pork to one side of the pan (or remove briefly) and add minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Stir garlic/ginger into pork, then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper and the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir to combine.

Combine and thicken

Add the well-drained shredded cabbage mixture to the pork in the pan. Toss to combine and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until vegetables are slightly tender but still have some bite. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornstarch over the filling and toss to evenly coat; this helps bind moisture. Cook another 30–60 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning (add more soy or a pinch of salt if needed). Remove from heat and let the filling cool 10 minutes before wrapping.

Prepare egg wash and workspace

Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash. Arrange wrappers in a stack covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Set a small bowl with the egg wash nearby and a plate for assembled rolls.

Fill and roll

Place one egg roll wrapper diamond-shaped with a corner pointing toward you. Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooled filling (roughly 1/12 of total) onto the lower third of the wrapper, keeping filling centered and not overstuffing. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg wash. Fold the corner nearest you up and over the filling, tuck firmly under the filling, fold both side corners toward the center, then continue rolling tightly away from you to the opposite corner. Seal the final edge with more egg wash. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should get about 10–12 eggrolls depending on filling amount and wrapper size.

Heat oil

Pour neutral oil into a deep skillet or pot to a depth of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (enough to half-submerge rolls). Heat over medium-high to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of wrapper into the oil — it should sizzle and brown in about 30 seconds.

Fry eggrolls

Fry the eggrolls in batches without overcrowding, 3–4 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature; lower if browning too quickly. Use tongs to transfer cooked eggrolls to a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Finish

Let the eggrolls rest 2–3 minutes (they will crisp further as they cool slightly). Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Combine sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Stir to combine and taste; adjust sweetness or acidity as desired. Serve alongside eggrolls.