Firecracker Eggrolls

I took this picture on my iPhone at Scott and Cindy's house last weekend.  Technology is amazing.  These are easy appetizers to make with leftover (squeak) pork and habanero pesto from my previous blog.  I also made a pineapple soy dipping sauce to go with these egg rolls. 

The Ingredients:

shredded pork

habanero pesto

egg roll wrappers

1 package shredded cabbage

cilantro

vegetable oil for frying

2 cup pineapple juice

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 inch of ginger, peeled and sliced into rings

4 tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium soy sauce)

1 tbsp siracha or Thai chile sauce

The method:

Smear a teaspoon of the habanero pesto on the bottom of the wrapper, top with shredded pork, cabbage and cilantro.  Fold the wrapper closest to you over the ingredients, fold in the sides and roll.  Repeat many times until you run out of ingredients.  Add oil to heavy skillet, enough to come up halfway on the egg rolls.  Heat over medium high until bubble form when you dip a corner of an egg roll in the oil.  Add egg rolls to the pan in batches, cook until golden on both sides.  Drain on paper towel line plate.  Serve warm with dipping sauce.  To make the dipping sauce:  Add pineapple juice, garlic and ginger to a saucepan, heat over medium high until boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half.  The sauce should be thick, like a glaze.  Remove from heat, remove garlic and ginger with a slotted spoon.  Add soy sauce and siracha.

Firecracker Pork with Habanero Pesto

This is my version of a dish from a local restaurant called Fuzio's.  It is the signature dish on their menu and while it doesn't sound like the ingredients go together...they do.  This is one of Benjamin's favorite meals now.  I made this on a weekday but I wouldn't recommend that unless you want to eat at 8pm like we did.  This is a low and slow kind of meal that is perfect for a weekend because most of the cooking is in the oven.  This makes enough pork to have leftovers but that is another post!  Try this and let me know what you think...that's what the comment section is for!  Don't be shy!

The Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins, cut into 3" pieces
Olive Oil
6 cloves garlic
4 green onions
1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
2 bunches of cilantro, cut off stems
5 tbsp ginger, sliced
5 cups pineapple juice
1-2 cups low sodium soy sauce

Habanero Pesto
2 bunches of cilantro, cut off stems
5 cloves garlic
2 habanero peppers
about 1/4 cup of ollive oil

1 1/2 lbs cavatelli or large elbow macaroni
sour cream

The Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the sauce.  Put garlic, green onions, yellow onion, ginger and cilantro in a food processor.  Pulse 8-10 times until paste forms.  Put mixture in a large pot, add pineapple juice and 1 cup soy sauce.  Bring to a simmer.  Taste, if needed, add more soy sauce.  Brown the pork on all sides and when well browned add to the large pot with the sauce.  Bake for 2 hours until pork is fork tender.  Remove pork from the sauce.  Bring the sauce up to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  In the meantime, shred the pork, cover with foil to keep warm.  Make the habanero pesto: add the garlic, cilantro, and 2 habanero's (seeds and membranes removed...carefully), pulse 3-4 times.  Slowly add the oil until the consistency is like pesto.  Set aside.  Make the pasta...cook for 2 minutes less than package recommends.  Drain the pasta and add to the reduced sauce.  Cook for 2 minutes.  To serve:  place pasta in individual bowls, top with shredded pork and a dollop of habanero pesto and sour cream.