Korean Pulled Pork Egg Rolls

For the pulled pork:

1. In a medium bowl combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, 2 scallions (white and light green parts only, chopped), the chili garlic paste, the ground black pepper, the red pepper flakes, and the catchup to make a marinade. Place the pork butt pieces into a one gallon re-sealable plastic bag, pour the marinade in, seal the bag (squeezing out as much air as possible), and place in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. After the pork has been marinated and you’re ready to cook it, remove the pork from the plastic bag and place in the bowl of a slow cooker large enough to comfortably hold the pork and add the marinating liquid.

3. Set a slow cooker on low and cook, covered, until the pork is fork tender and falls apart, about 4 hours.

4. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon to a clean, flat working surface and allow the pork to cool enough to handle comfortably. Retain the marinating/cooking liquid.

5. When the pork has cooled “pull” the pork pieces into shreds using two fork placing the shredded pork into a large bowl and proceed to preparing the filling.

For the filling:

6. In another bowl or measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, and the sugar. Set aside.

7. In a large skillet over high heat, stir-fry the remaining 3 tablespoons of ginger and remaining 3 tablespoons of garlic in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 scallions (sliced thinly), the carrots, and the red bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes more.

8. Add 1 cup of the shredded Napa cabbage, the pulled pork, the reserved marinating/cooking liquid, the water chestnuts, the bean sprouts, and the broth mixture to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, mix and remove from heat and mix in the remaining cup of cabbage ensuring it is evenly distributed. Strain out and discard any residual liquid and place the strained filling into a bowl large enough to accommodate it all.

For the construction:

9. Working on a clean flat work surface using 1 wonton wrapper at a time, construct each egg roll by placing a wrapper with one corner pointing at you and placing approximately 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper in a long band. Roll the corner closest to you over the filling, fold the side corners of the wonton in and continue rolling the egg roll away from you until the far corner and the sides form a triangle, brush the the triangle with water and continue rolling until the egg roll is closed, pressing lightly to seal, set aside the completed egg rolls and continue with the remaining ingredients.

For the frying:

10. In either a deep fryer or a large saucepan add sufficient vegetable oil (enough to keep the egg rolls from touching the bottom of the pan) and heat it to 350° F. Fry the folded egg rolls, one or two at a time (depending on the size of your fryer/pan) until golden brown. If the oil cools below 350° between frying cycle allow it to come back to temperature before attempting to fry the next batch.
11. Drain on a dish lined with paper towels before serving.

For serving*:

12. Remove the fried and drained egg rolls to a serving platter and serve accompanied by sweet and sour sauce, Chinese mustard and/or your favourite dipping sauce.

* To serve as an hors d’ouvres, slice the egg roll diagonally in half.