Everyone loves barbecue cheeseburgers. This appetizer recipe combines ground venison, melted cheese, and a bit of Asian-inspired flavor, all wrapped up in a crispy fried-egg-roll wrapper. Combine it with the dipping sauce for a surefire hit.
Make sure you get the egg-roll-sized wrappers; the smaller wonton size won’t hold enough filling. The pockets fry in minutes in the 350-degree oil, so keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.
An Asian-inspired BBQ cheeseburger tucked into a crispy fried shell. How could you go wrong?
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground venison
8 ounces Colby-Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
5 green onions, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 package egg-roll wrappers
Egg wash for sealing pockets (one egg beaten with an equal amount of water)
DIPPING SAUCE
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
2 rounded tablespoons peanut butter
3 green onions, diced
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
Try them with the peanut and soy dipping sauce.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes. Serves 5-7.
Brown the ground venison over medium-high heat. When nearly browned, add the soy sauce, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Continue cooking until the meat is well browned. Remove from heat and stir in the barbecue sauce.
Make sure you get the egg-roll-sized wrappers.
Warm the egg-roll wrappers under a damp paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds. Spread a wrapper on your work surface, then add a tablespoon of the meat mixture to the center. Nestle a cube of cheese into the center of the meat. Fold in one corner of the wrapper over the meat. Dab it with a bit of egg wash and fold in the opposite corner, pressing the two together to seal. Repeat with remaining two corners.
Heat two to three inches of vegetable or peanut oil in a heavy pan until it reaches 325 to 350 degrees. Gently drop the pockets into the oil, one at a time, until you have four to five in the pot. Cook for 60 seconds, then flip the pocket and fry for an additional 60 seconds or until the wrapper is crisp and golden brown.
Fold each corner into the center and seal with egg wash to form the pocket.
Remove the pockets from the hot oil and move to a paper-lined pan or platter while you cook the next batch.
For the sauce, heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until the peanut butter has melted and the sauce is fully blended.
Serve the pockets while they are still hot.
Michael Pendley is the man behind Timber-2-Table, Realtree’s online collection of game recipes and preparation methods. For more from Timber-2-Table, check out their website today.