Philly Cheesesteak Spring Rolls

Before I moved to a different neighborhood in Philadelphia, I lived just up the street from the New Wave Cafe. Though many items on their menu sounded delicious, I always ordered the same thing: their Philly Cheesesteak Spring Roll appetizer.

Being a Philly girl, born and raised, I love cheesesteaks. But they only come in two sizes: big, and bigger. And sometimes I just can't finish off a nearly-foot-long cheesesteak (and contrary to what the Significant Other thinks, they don't reheat well, nor do they taste good cold). So, these little spring rolls satisfied the cheesesteak craving. 

Now that I've moved away, getting those spring rolls isn't as easy as walking down the street. So, I searched online, and found this copy of a recipe that appeared in Saveur magazine. Since I don't own a fryer, I included directions for frying in a pot. But if you do own a fryer, you can use that instead. 

Philly Cheesesteak Spring Rolls with Spicy Ketchup
From Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced beef, such as Landis, or Steak-Umms
• ⅓ pound american cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ¼ pound provolone cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 spring roll wrappers, 9 ½-inches in size
• 6 egg yolks, beaten slightly
• Canola oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced beef and cook, chopping with two spatulas to shred, until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Strain beef, discarding liquid, and return to skillet.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, place cheese slices on top of beef, and allow to melt, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, toss beef and cheese to mix together and set aside to let cool.
3. Place 1 wrapper on a clean work surface, keeping other wrappers covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Brush entire surface of wrapper with egg yolk. Form one-quarter of the beef mixture into an 8-inch log along one edge of the wrapper. Roll up wrapper, leaving ends open. Place a second wrapper on the work surface with a corner facing you, brush the corners with egg yolk, and lay the first roll across the bottom corner of the second wrapper. Roll up wrapper, tightly folding the ends over halfway through. Press down slightly to seal and set aside. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and filling.
4. Pour canola oil into a heavy medium pot to a depth of 2-inches and heat over medium heat until temperature registers 350° F on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry spring rolls in 2 batches, turning over halfway through, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve whole, or cut in half on a bias, with spicy ketchup dipping sauce (recipe below).

Some people like their cheesesteaks "wit," meaning, with fried onions. If you do like fried onions, feel free to sauté half a thinly-sliced small white onion along with the beef. 

Spicy Ketchup Dipping Sauce
From Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• ⅓ teaspoon cayenne

1. Combine the ketchup, mustard, honey, and cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.