BBQ Eggrolls

BBQ restaurant menus across North America have pretty consistent menu selections of meats and side dishes but
every now and then you find something a bit unconventional, for example, the Redneck Taco at Martin's BBQ. I
stumbled across an unusual find like that while on a working vacation in Perdido Key, FL.

The Rib Shak is a BBQ joint located just inside the Florida border between Perdido Key and Orange Beach, AL. I
usually don't trust BBQ joints in tourist towns but they did have a nice rack of hickory and a reverse flow offset
smoker was running so we pulled in for dinner.

Wood piles don't guarantee a good BBQ joint but they do increase your odds.

It is small-ish with 10 tables inside but has more than that outside.
The menu and the waitress both touted the "world famous BBQ egg roll" as an appetizer. I thought that it could
turn out really badly but I was on semi-vaction and it was on $2.50 so Alexis and I decided to split one.

Only had my mobile phone with me, egg roll is at the bottom right.

I was pleasantly surprised, it was weird but actually good. The crisp shell gives way to sweet, smoky pork and
gooey mozzarella cheese for a combination that works great as an appetizer.

My prep time shows 10 minutes. That doesn't include the 14 hour smoking of pork butt (errr...now the Boston
Roast) but you could use leftover crock pot pulled pork or even that packaged pulled pork.
BBQ Eggroll

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients (4 appetizer portions)

 4 egg roll wrappers

 1 cup chopped smoked pork
 1/4 cup sweet BBQ sauce (I used Blues Hog)
 1 tsp BBQ seasoning (I used Drapers AP)
 4 strips of mozzarella 3" x 1/4" x 1/4"
 Egg wash (1 egg and 1 Tbsp of cold water whisked together)
 Oil for frying
Instructions

1. Mix the pork, sauce and BBQ rub together.

2. Place egg roll wrapper on counter diagonally so one corner points towards you.
3. Place 1/4 cup of the pork mix and 1 stick of cheese in the center lower third as pictured.
4. Moisten top corner with the egg wash.
5. Roll bottom of egg roll wrapper over the mixture as pictured. Fold the two side corners inwards. Roll
upwards to the top corner. Repeat with other 3 wrappers.
6. Place in 350 F oil and deep fry until golden, about 2-4 minutes.
7. Remove to a raised rack and keep warm while repeating with the others.
 I'll cover the pork BBQ cook in the next post.

Bad picture but another use for the trusty Thermapen, indoors or out.
You can also break the cheese up like this, but we liked it whole better.

Roll.
Tuck.

Seal.
We made seven different versions, some trying to get the right texture and then some just for variety.

Version 1 - pulled pork, mozzarella, a little sweet and spicy bbq sauce. The texture wasn't right, not
enough sauce.

Version 2 - pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, a little sweet and spicy bbq sauce. Same as above and
further away from the taste of Rib Shak's than version 1.

Version 3 - pulled pork, mozzarella, sweet bbq sauce. Closer but texture still not right.

Version 4 - chopped pork, mozzarella, sweet bbq sauce. On the right track.

Version 5 - chopped pork, sweet bbq sauce, bbq rub all mixed together, then cheese. Spot on, that is it.

Version 6 - tried a version without cheese but added a "dry slaw" of shredded cabbage and carrots tossed
in NC vinegar sauce then drained. Was about a 50/50 ratio of meat/slaw. Would be better 30/70
meat/slaw. Worth trying again to experiment.

Version 7 - vegetarian of just slaw. Actually very good although not much different than a regular egg
roll. This would be something that might be good to offer in a meat laden BBQ menu just to give your
guests something different.
Hmmm maybe I should have done one with pork and mac and cheese? What's the most different thing
you have seen in an egg roll?