Cha Gio (Vietnamese Eggrolls)

Mom's eggrolls have always been delicious and now she's teaching me how to make them! I figured why not share with you all! Please continue reading if you want to learn how to make awesome eggrolls :)

Ingredients:

2 lb ground pork
2 cups taro, julienne or chopped
1 cup carrots, julienne
2 bunch vermicelli glass noodles/bean thread (see pic, pink package)
1/2 cup sliced black fungus (dried mushroom, see pic)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
1-2 tsp salt to your taste
2 packages frozen egg roll wrapper/sheets, thawed (you can find these at most oriental food markets)
1 egg (yolk and white separated)
1 tsp Knorr chicken broth mix powder (optional)

Yield: This recipe makes 45-50 eggrolls, you can cut the ingredients in half if you want to make less.

-Before we get rolling (pun intended ^.^), we have to soak the black fungus in water (15-20 minutes) to soften it. Rinse the black fungus several times to eliminate the smell. Dry the black fungus really well and chop the black fungus into smaller pieces (see pic).
-Next soak the vermicelli in water for (15-20 minutes) to soften and expand. Dry the vermicelli really well and cut into smaller pieces (same size as fungus).
-Peel carrot and taro and cut into small pieces (see pic).
-Remember to thaw the egg roll wrappers so they are pliable to work with.

In a large bowl, mix pork, onion, garlic and shallots together. Then continue to mix in black fungus, carrots, and taro. Lastly, mix in salt, pepper, sugar, fish sauce, egg yolk and chicken powder. Mix with hands (gloves recommended) to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. We also need to prepare a small bowl with egg white and a small pastry brush. Now we're ready to roll!

Please refer to pictures if needed.

Step 1
Place egg roll wrapper on a large plate and fold about one third way up.

Step 2
Place about one full Tbsp of eggroll meat onto the wrapper.

Step 3
Fold the outer sides in so that they almost touch the opposite side.

Step 4
Roll tightly up about halfway.

Step 5
Brush a little bit of egg white around the top of the wrapper.

Step 6
Then continue to tightly roll all the way up. Repeat until you run out of eggroll meat.
You can place the finished egg roll on a large plate and when you're all done you can fry them.

Frying:
I suggest you deep fry your eggrolls (350 degrees) to get that awesome crispy shell, but if you don't have a deep fryer then you can just shallow fry the eggrolls, but remember the eggrolls must be completely submerged in the oil so make sure you put enough oil into the pan/pot. Keep the heat on high to heat the oil at first before you put the eggrolls in. You can check by using a wooden chopstick and putting it into the heated oil, if it starts to bubble then it's ready. When the oil is heated turn down to medium-high then place eggrolls seam down into the oil. You must turn the eggroll occasionally to ensure even browning. When the eggroll is a golden brown color then it's done. Place eggroll standing up in a tray or basket lined with paper towels to soak excess oil.

Tip: You can fry up all of the eggrolls at once and store the leftover eggrolls into zip lock bags and you can put these eggrolls in the freezer until ready to reheat and eat. Reheating is very simple. You can put them into a toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Mi Hoanh Thanh (Wonton Noodle Soup)

One of my favorite noodle soups has to be Mi Hoanh Thanh (Wonton Noodle Soup). I tend to order it ever time I stop by Tan Tan. Since Tan Tan is so far from my house and it gets pretty costly to eat out a lot, I thought why not make it at home. Since my followers are mostly students, I thought why not simplify the process of making the broth. It's almost as delectable as broth made using pork bones. The following recipe yields 4 servings.

All of the following can be prepared in advance except the egg noodles (they have to be used right after you boil them). The broth can be made and frozen for later use. The wontons can be frozen and thawed out for later use. The Xa Xiu can be made and refrigerated up to one week.

Quick 'n' Easy Broth:

• 3 cans chicken broth (14 oz.)
• 3 cans water (same can)
• 1 Tbsp pork flavored soup base (see pic)
• 1 tsp sugar
  

Wonton Filling:

*This recipe for wontons makes extra for later use

• 1 lb. shrimp cut into small pieces
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1-2 tsp salt (if you like your food less salty then only use 1)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 stalk green onion/scallions, finely minced
• 2 shallots, finely minced

Other ingredients:

• Xa xiu (BBQ pork)
• Noh Char siu/xa xiu seasoning (see pic)
• Egg noodles
• Wonton wrapper
• Cilantro
• Green onion/scallions
• Lettuce (green or red leaf works)
• Chives
• Bean Sprout (optional)
    

Step 1 – Preparing Xa Xiu/BBQ Pork

Cut your piece of pork into 1 inch by 2 in. strips (I used pork tenderloin). In a medium sized bowl, mix xa xiu seasoning with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar. Place pork in the marinade and mix well, then cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate overnight or at least 3 hours. When ready to cook, line a baking tray with a sheet of foil to cover the entire surface (easier to clean later). Bake in oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes depending on your oven’s strength. When finished, let cool for 5 minutes then slice into thin slices (see pic).
  

Step 2 – Preparing Wonton

In a medium sized bowl, mix together ground pork, shrimp pieces, salt, sugar, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and shallots. Spoon 1 teaspoon wonton filling into wonton wrapper, then spread a little bit of water around the edges of the wonton wrapper and pinch together. After you’re done making the wonton, you may freeze the extras, but if you layer the wonton in more than 2 layers, you must separate each layer with a piece of plastic wrap. I give each bowl about 6-7 wontons, but it’s up to you how many you want to use.

Step 3 – Preparing the Broth

Pour 3 cans of chicken broth and 3 cans of water into a medium-large pot. Then add pork soup base and sugar. Taste the broth to see if it is to your liking. Keep on medium high heat until ready to serve.

Step 4 – Preparing Wontons and Egg Noodles

In a medium sized pot, fill up halfway with water and bring to a boil. Then with a big spoon carefully drop wontons in the boiling water. Leave them in the boiling water for about 5 minutes or until they start to float. Spoon them out with a slotted spoon or a small handheld strainer (like the one you would use for pho). If some water has evaporated, you might want to add a bit more in and bring back to a boil. Then spread apart one clump of egg noodle and swirl around the strainer in the boiling water for 1 minute. Place each portion of egg noodle in to each bowl.

Final step – Preparing Herbs and Your Bowl

Wash and dry your lettuce, bean sprout, and chives. Assemble them on a plate and set aside. Chop some cilantro and green onion. Place wonton, pork slices and herbs on top of the egg noodles in each bowl. Bring your broth to a boil and serve. Top your noodle soup with shreds of lettuce, chives and bean sprouts. Good luck and enjoy!

 

Thit Kho Trung (Braised Pork w/ Egg in Caramel Sauce)

During my childhood, my mom would cook a whole lot of Vietnamese food. One of my favorite dishes has always been Thit Kho. What's even better was that mom would cut the cubes of pork so there would still be fatty pieces with skin, but still have the leaner pieces for me ♥! When you eat Thit Kho with some good old white rice, it just feels like good home cooking. This one is for my homesick friend, Wally.

Thit Kho Tau


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of pork w/ skin
• 6 eggs
• 1 medium sized shallot, sliced into thin rings (about 1 full Tbsp)
• 4 cloves of garlic (about 1 full Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (can use vegetable or canola oil)
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 can Coco Rico soda
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp of thick soy sauce (store bought)
  ^or if you don’t have any you can make it. Simmer sugar and a tiny bit of water to kind of make caramel sauce.

Step 1
Bring pot of water to a boil and add your eggs in. Cook about 6 minutes (you’ll know when they are ready when you can pick them up with chopsticks).

Step 2

While eggs are cooking, wash pork; scrape off any dirty particles or hair from skin. Cut into cubes about 1 inch or slightly bigger. My mom says buy the pork with skin on, but pick a piece that has the whitest skin.

Step 3
Turn heat down to low and take the eggs out of the boiling water. Add 1 Tbsp of vinegar and ½ tsp of salt into the water that you boiled the eggs in and carefully place your pork cubes into the hot water. In the mean time, place your eggs in a cold bowl of water and peel off the shells. Set aside. Then mince your garlic and slice your shallots. After 5 minutes or when water comes to a boil, turn heat off and drain pork cubes.

Step 4
Take that same pot you used to boil water and make sure it has dried off. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sauté your shallots on medium heat (about 1 minute). Then add your pork cubes into the pot along with 1 tsp of salt and thick soy sauce. Then add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 5

Add 1 Tbsp of fish sauce and 1 tsp of sugar and mix it up. Then add the coco soda and ¼ cup of water into the pot. Then add your boiled eggs into the mix. Cover and bring to a boil. Then turn heat to low setting. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 hours to ensure your meat is tender. One sign that it's done is if the liquid has become slightly thicker and reduced to about 1/8 of the original amount.

Once done, you may store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Good luck and enjoy :)