Fresh Lumpia (Lumpiang Sariwa)

There are so many versions of egg rolls.  Different parts of Asia have different versions.  The Philippines is no different.  Depending what province you are in, they have their own version.  Most egg rolls are fried, but there are some that are considered fresh.  This is most popular during special events, holidays and fiestas in the Philippines. Depending where you are at, the ingredients could change accordingly.  This one is my grandmother's recipe with a slight variation; she likes to add garbanzo beans to hers.  Fresh lumpia wrapper can be found in the freezer section of most Asian grocery stores. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs raw shrimp (shelled, deveined and chopped)
1/2 lbs ground pork
1 jicama (sliced into match sticks)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cups napa cabbage (cut into strips)
2 cups green beans (roughly chopped)
12 red or green leaf lettuce leaves
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (minced)
Slat and pepper
Fresh lumpia wrappers
2 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a large fry pan or saute pan, heat the oil.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute for approximately 3 minutes.  Add the ground pork.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until pork is done.  Add the shrimp and continue to saute for another 4 minutes or until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Add green beans, jicama,  and napa cabbage.  Saute for another 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and drain well using a colander. 

Set a small bowl of water next to a plate, lay a wrapper and place a lettuce leave on with the stem to the center of the wrapper and the leafy part extending slightly over the edge of the wrapper.  Put 2 tablespoon of the mixture onto the leave within the wrapper. Lay one side of the wrapper over the filling and gently roll tightly without tearing.  Before reaching the end, pull the bottom to the center and continue rolling until you create a tight cone with the leafy end open. Serve with lumpia sauce. Recipe below:

Lumpia sauce:

4 tblsp cornstarch
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
10 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic for approximately 1 minute.  Add sugar and broth.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce and cornstarch until cornstarch is disolved.  Add this to the sauce pan.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until sauce comes to a low boil and starts to thicken.  Spoon over fresh lumpia.

Hocks Braised with Sugar (Pata Estofado)

This is a great Filipino recipe.  Cooking time is pretty extensive.  Preparation is easy, pig hocks need a lot of time to braise to make them tender, so the cooking time takes 3-4 hours and does require you to check to ensure that all the liquid does not completely evaporate.  You will need to replenish to allow for the cooking time.
Dried lily blosssoms can be found at any Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

2-3lbs pig's hocks
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
10 peppercorns
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
2 onions (quartered)
10 cloves garlic (minced)
8 tblsp oil (for frying)
1 cup dried lily blossoms (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat 3tablespoon of the oil.  Add onions and saute for approximately 3-4 minutes.  Add minced garlic and cinnamon stick.  Continue to saute for another 2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and add the rest of the ingredients except for the oil and dried lily blossoms.  Allow hocks to marinade for an hour.  Heat oil a large deep skillet.  When oil is hot, remove hocks, reserve the marinade in the pot.  Fry hocks on each side to brown.  Approximately 5 minutes on each side.  Do not crowd hocks when frying.  Continue until all the hocks have been browned. Move hocks back into the stock pot and place on the oven set at medium-high heat.  Allow to boil, reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking for another 2 1/2 hours.  Check pot occasionally to ensure braising liquid has not evaporated.  If braising liquid is low, add another cup each of water, apple cider vinegar and sugar and a 1/2 cup of soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue with the cooking process. You can increase sugar if you want it a little sweeter.  This dish is more to individual taste.  During the last 30 minutes of the cooking process, add the lily blossoms.  Test the hocks for tenderness by spearing with a fork, meat is tender if fork slides in without any effort.

Pile a scoop of rice into a large bowl.  Ladle sauce, hocks and lily blossoms over the rice and enjoy!