When two dishes are both delicious separately, chances are they could be even better together. That seems to be the thinking of chef Dan Hong, the mastermind behind famed Sydney establishment Ms G’s, in the creation of the restaurant’s iconic cheeseburger spring rolls.
With a following on Instagram numbering nearly 94,000, Hong has been sharing cooking videos on his profile and says since starting the series he received countless requests for the recipe which was originally inspired by – what else – a McDonald’s cheeseburger.
Good quality mince is imperative for your home-made version, so Hong recommends supporting your local butcher to source the filling for these deep-fried delights.
Makes 20 spring rolls
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients (quantities are approximate):
400g premium beef mince (80 per cent meat; 20 per cent fat)
Salt
1 white onion, finely diced
½ cup Polish-style dill pickles, finely diced
1 packet (12 slices) “hamburger cheese”, such as Dairylea Burger Cheese Slices
¼ cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons American mustard (Hong uses French’s)
Spring-roll wrappers
1 egg (to seal)
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Method:
For the filling
Flatten meat into a patty that will fit into your oven-safe frying pan. Place the pan over a high heat, add a splash of oil and season the beef with salt on both sides. Slide patty into the hot pan and press with a spatula, then leave for 3 – 4 minutes or until edges start to turn grey.
Drain as much oil from the pan as possible into a bowl, then use a spatula to flip the meat patty. After another minute of cooking, transfer the pan into an oven preheated to 220°C. Cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the centre of the patty is cooked medium-well (as an indicator, juices will begin emerging from the top of the patty).
Transfer the patty to a plate and place in the fridge until the meat has cooled completely.
Break the chilled cooked meat into a bowl until it has a mince-like consistency, leaving a few larger chunks for texture.
Stir through onions, pickles, cheese, ketchup and mustard, mixing with your hands until very well combined. Taste and adjust sauces and seasoning as required.
For the spring rolls
Lay a square spring-roll wrapper on a board or plate with the corner pointed towards you, and spoon a few tablespoons of the cheeseburger mix into a line 1/3 of the way up the wrapper.
Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the meat mixture, shaping the cheeseburger mix into a tight cylinder as you bring it down. Fold over the left and right edges, then roll the parcel tightly away from you, brushing the far corner with a little beaten egg to help seal it (Hong’s youngest daughter, Indy, finishes the rolling process by blowing lightly on the finished spring roll, but this step is optional).
As soon as all the spring rolls have been folded, heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or solid-based saucepan to 200°C. Carefully lower spring rolls into the oil a few at a time (taking care not to crowd the pan), and cook until crisp and brown.
Serve once cool enough to handle.
