Filipino Lumpia Shanghai

When my wife and I starting seriously dating years ago, I would go back home and spend time with my family during the holidays. During my visits, I would spend time with her family as well. I recall them frying up lumpia, or at least this is what I referred to them as eggrolls, during the late evening hours when everyone played games around the table. I recall the game being tiles. Anyway, what struck me about these ‘eggrolls’, were that they were much more slender than the ones normally served at restaurants, and they were served with a simple spooning sauce of white vinegar, minced garlic, and black pepper. To this day, my in laws fry up these lumpia during family gatherings.

Commonly referred to in the Filipino culture as lumpia, or lumpiang prito (fried spring roll), my wife states that her favorite and somewhat traditional in her family, is a lumpia stuffed with ground pork, diced potato, green bean, and baby shrimp. As her recipe is really delicious (I prefer my take on them), I only make them about twice a year, just for her and her family if they stop by.

Ingredients: (Makes about 40 eggrolls)

• 4 lbs Ground pork (I grind my own pork shoulder)
• Uniform cut, fresh green beans
• Uniform cut russet potatoes
• Lots of fresh cracked pepper
• salt to taste
• 2 small bags of baby shrimp, thawed, and rinsed
• Spring Roll wrappers
• 2 eggs, beaten

Begin by cooking your pork in a large pot, until fully cooked. Drain the fat, add in the shrimp, mix, and let cool. In another large pot, boil the potatoes and green beans, until tender. These do not take long to cook down because they are a smaller dice, and uniform. Let the potatoes and beans cool a bit before you add them to the meat mixture. Once you add them to the meat mixture, season graciously with salt and pepper. Let this come to a complete cool before you begin wrapping.

Now, when you are ready to wrap, get your wrapping station ready. I used one large plate, a small bowl with the eggs, and a large baking sheet to let the lumpia set when you are done wrapping.

Take a spring roll wrapper, add about two large tablespoons of the mixture about a half inch from the end of the wrapper, and fold over, folding in the sides, brushing the other end with a bit of the egg wash, and fold over to seal.  Continue this process until you are done. The great thing about these, or the lumpia is that you can store them in the freezer, and simply drop them in a 350 degree pot of oil when you are ready. Fry until golden brown and serve with your lumpia sauce.

Lumpia Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Combine and serve with a spoon.