This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how different countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
Asia…it’s been a while, but I’m back! When I drew the Philippines, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d end up making. When I was in high school, I dated a Filipina, and her mother could cook. Her best and most-often made items were this amazing bread, very similar to a brioche but a little sweet, and she always had some fried rice concoction going in the cooker as well. I also could have gone with a suckling pig roast like they’d do every summer. However, I opted for another fond food memory. Being a little younger than my sister, once I could effectively drive without crashing my car every 6 months, my sister relied upon me to be her DD. As time went along, I met her friends and we’d all eventually start hanging out on the regular while I was getting through college. One of her friends, Rick, would host an amazing house party around Christmas and there were two things I vividly recall standing out from your average college house party: lumpia and a fridge full of sangria. Rick made so much sangria he would pour it into old milk gallon containers. When he ran out of fridge space, the jugs would be stored in the bathtub ready to fill the gaps in the fridge. You can get my sangria recipe here and, of course, the recipe for these tasty pork-filled spring rolls can be found below.
Lumpia
This dish is normally served with a sweet chili sauce. But, I like a mix of seasoned rice vinegar and soy sauce as it is more assertive against the fatty pork and not so sweet, which you’ll also want if serving with the aforementioned Sangria!
Dipping sauce
½ cup of seasoned rice vinegar
2.5 oz distilled white vinegar
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1.5 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
Lumpia
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, large dice
1 celery stalk, rough chopped
8 green onions, rough chopped
1 lb ground pork
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Egg roll wrappers (18-20)
Oil for frying
Prepare the dipping sauce by combining and whisking all of the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside, at room temperature while preparing the lumpia rolls.
Prepare the lumpia by combining the garlic and vegetables in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine (about 20 pulses), scraping the sides of the bowl down half-way through. Then add in the remaining ingredients, including 2 tbsp of the egg but excluding the oil and egg roll wrappers, and process until just combined. Transfer the meat mixture to a pastry bag or a ziplock bag (cutting a 1-inch opening in one corner).
Place 3 egg roll wrappers on a large cutting board in a diamond fashion. Portion out some of the mixture just beneath the half-way line that would run through the wrapper. Brush some egg on the top corner. Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold it over the line of filling, tucking the wrapper back and evening out the filling. Roll about a quarter-half turn in order to cover the triangle just above the tuck. Then fold in the sides to make a rough pentagon shape. Complete the roll and set aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining filling and egg roll wrappers, ensuring you wipe any egg wash from the cutting board. When done, place in the fridge to set while you heat the oil to 350 degrees in a deep fryer or dutch oven. If you want to make these ahead, you can refrigerate for up to 1 day, or freeze for later use.
Once the oil reaches temperature, carefully drop in the prepared rolls, in a single layer, and not overlapping or touching each other. Fry for about 7 minutes until golden and crispy and remove to a rack-lined baking sheet to cool for a few minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature with the dipping sauce. ______________________________
Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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