Deep-Fried Juanguo (Beijing-Style Meat Rolls)
Beijing-style fried roll (炸卷果): lean beef and gezha are mixed as a filling, rolled in tofu skin, steamed until set, then sliced and deep-fried until crisp on the outside and tender within.
Ingredients
lean beef (silverskin removed, minced)
600 g
fried dough pieces (crumbled)
160 g
oil pastry wrappers (flattened, sprinkled with wet starch liquid)
2
vegetable oil (about 130 g actually used, heated to 70% hot)
800 g
wet starch (120 g into filling, remainder sprinkled on pastry)
160 g
Sichuan pepper powder
1 g
salt
28 g
chopped scallions
15 g
minced ginger
6 g
water (added in batches to the meat filling)
about 180 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Remove the silverskin from the beef, then mince it. Add the chopped scallions and minced ginger. Crush the fried dough pieces and combine them with the wet starch (120 g), Sichuan pepper powder, and salt; mix until evenly blended. Add the water in several batches (about 180 g in total), stirring continuously to form a uniform meat filling.
2
Step 2
Lay the oil pastry wrappers flat and evenly sprinkle them with the wet starch (best mixed into a thin liquid). Shape the meat filling into two long rolls about 20 cm long, place each one on a wrapper, and roll up tightly. Steam over high heat until fully cooked, then remove from the steamer — these are the finished juanguo rolls.
3
Step 3
Place the cooked rolls on a clean cloth, roll them up firmly to compress, then unwrap and let cool completely. Once cooled, cut them crosswise into slices about 5–6 mm thick.
4
Step 4
Pour the vegetable oil into a wok and heat it over high heat until it just begins to smoke (about 70% hot). Add the roll slices and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the filling turns a reddish color. Remove and arrange on a serving plate.
