Ugh. I know. ANOTHER Filipino Blogger, Writing About Lumpia.

A lot of times, when a non-Filipino friend says "I've totally had Filipino food," what they usually mean is "I totally dated this Filipino guy whose mom made me those eggrolls."  They mean Lumpia Shanghai which is something my Dad happens to be brilliant at.  I never really helped out in the kitchen because he was usually cooking 3 or 4 things at the same time and I just got in the way (i.e. spilled things or ate things before they were cooked and then got sick and then cried about it. I was a gem.).  So I only saw and tasted the end result which was AMAZING, and why would I bother duplicating that when perfection was just a trip to my Dad's house away?  Well, that house is a 4 hour flight or a 2 day train ride away, so I found myself having to clog my own arteries.  

RECIPE #6: Lumpia Shanghai

Choice of libation: Scarlett O Hara, a drink Chad's mom used to make for herself -- cranberry juice, Southern Comfort and lime (we were going for nostalgia and it tasted DELICIOUS)

Choice of music: En Vogue's Funky Divas (just as good as I remembered)

You can pretty much put anything in your filling.  I went to an Asian market and this seemed like a good idea in that it was the least expensive meat they had.  In hindsight I was lucky it turned out okay.  That decision making process could have ended badly...

For texture and because I was copying what I thought my Dad did, I diced water chestnuts, carrots, garlic, onions and green onions.  

I could have told you I added ginger in the section above, but then you wouldn't get to see my pretty new nail colour.  It's dark blue. Like my soul.  But yeah, I added a crap ton of ginger. 

Mmmm...inexpensive pork product.  No, but really, it was good.  I had to keep myself from just eating the filling on my own.  SEE?! This is why I wasn't allowed in the kitchen!

So this is the part that is a little time-consuming. But once you get in a rhythm, it's kind of fun, actually.  These wrappers were a little tough to deal with, in that they kept tearing.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I am impatient.  Anyway.  I put a couple tablespoons kind of towards the front of the wrapper so I had more to roll with later... 

Fold the sides in, which is much easier if you are not holding a camera phone with your other hand.

Roll it up as tightly as you can, and when you get to the edge, dampen it with water (or egg) to help close it.

Yeah.  I know.  They're not perfect.  But aren't you proud of me for not eating the filling?!  

I almost baked these, but my Dad made a discouraging sniff on the phone when I suggested it, which basically means "That's a terrible idea."  I can decipher sniffs as well as the next Filipino.  So put them in vegetable oil, 4 at a time.  I froze them the night before, so I put it on medium heat instead of high heat so they would cook through without burning the wrapper.  

You don't want to see what that paper towel looked like after these were sitting on it for a few minutes.  Although I told myself, if all that fat were deposited onto the towel, then that meant there was no more fat on the lumpia...I know.  I KNOW. 

Voila.  You can't call me lazy.  Well you can.  But if you do, I am not letting you taste these.  And you're missing out, because they're pretty dang good.  Almost amazing.

This recipe was stolen from...

partially, www.filipino-food-lovers.com but also my Dad

1/2 Lb. Ground beef

1/2 Lb. Ground pork

1 Large head of garlic, peeled & *smashed finely

1/2 Cup *finely chopped green onion

1 Medium sized Onion, *finely diced

1 Large Carrot peeled and *diced finely

*1 egg beaten, says my Dad, to bind it...

1 Teaspoon Ground black pepper

1 Teaspoon Salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, cover, and let cure in the fridge.

(My Dad actually recommended I pre-cook everything the day before, wrap it and freeze it, and since he makes the best lumpia ever, I didn't dare question him.)  

Cooking Instructions:

Deep fry lumpia on low heat to avoid burning the wrapper before the filling gets cooked.

(*I used vegetable oil, but the recipe recommends corn oil. Also, my Dad said the oil should only be "bubbling, not a big boil.")

Make sure the meat inside the Lumpia is thoroughly cooked before serving (5-6 minutes, or whenever it browns). I just cut into one to check that the meat is done inside.

Make sure you do this on your first batch to give you a good idea of how long you should cook it. 

Serve with sweet chili sauce

Congratulations, you’re done. Enjoy your Lumpia!