Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

A BBQ competition called. The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Austin — one of the biggest in the state. They've invited Bobby Tran BBQ to participate. Not compete in a judged category — participate as a featured vendor. Serve brisket to two thousand people over two days. Two thousand people. In Austin. At a festival that features the best BBQ in Texas. With Franklin, Goldee's, and every legendary pit in the state. I called Hector. He said, "Bobby, this is the big leagues." I said, "I know." He said, "You're going to need a bigger cooler." He's right. The festival is in November. Three months to prepare. The logistics are different from the restaurant: I need to transport the smoker to Austin (Tyler's building a trailer hitch for the big offset), cook on-site, serve continuously for eight hours per day, and maintain quality at volume. Emma is already planning the production: she calculated that two thousand servings over two days equals roughly 250 pounds of brisket (sixteen briskets), plus sides, sauce, and the Smoked Brisket Pho as a special. The pho at an outdoor BBQ festival will either be genius or a disaster. I'm betting on genius. Lily is handling the marketing: she's creating festival-specific content, coordinating with the festival's social media, and designing a booth that represents the brand. She showed me the booth concept: the Smoke and Fish Sauce sign, the red accent, photos of the food, and a small screen playing the cooking videos on loop. Tyler's concern: transporting and setting up the 1,000-gallon offset in an Austin parking lot. He's engineering the solution — a custom trailer, reinforced axles, a quick-connect propane backup for the fire in case the post oak supply runs low. Ma's contribution: she wants to come. To Austin. To wrap spring rolls at a BBQ festival in front of two thousand strangers. I said, "Ma, it's a two-day trip." She said, "I've been on longer trips." She means the boat. She always means the boat. She's coming. Mai Tran is going to the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest. God help Austin.

When Ma announced she was coming to Austin to wrap spring rolls in front of two thousand strangers, I stopped arguing and started thinking about what that actually looks like — a handheld, crispy, stuffed bite that a crowd can grab and keep moving. That image is exactly what gave me the idea to start testing egg rolls in the weeks leading up to the festival: something you can hold in one hand, something with a satisfying crunch, something that surprises people the way we want our whole booth to. These Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls aren’t on the festival menu, but they’re what I’ve been making at home to feed the planning crew — Hector ate four in a row and didn’t say a word, which is the highest compliment he gives.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 12 egg rolls

Ingredients

1 lb ribeye steak or shaved beef, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
8 oz white mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 slices provolone cheese, halved
12 egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten (for sealing)
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 3–4 cups)
Cheese sauce or spicy mayo, for dipping (optional)

Instructions

Cook the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes until moisture evaporates.
Brown the beef. Push the vegetables to the side, add the shaved beef to the pan, and cook for 2–3 minutes, breaking it apart as it browns. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Melt the cheese into the filling. Lay the provolone slices over the hot filling and let sit 1–2 minutes, then fold the melted cheese throughout the mixture so it binds the filling together.
Wrap the egg rolls. Lay an egg roll wrapper on a clean surface in a diamond orientation. Place 3 tablespoons of filling in the lower third. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll upward tightly. Brush the top corner with beaten egg and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Fry until golden. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven to 350°F. Working in batches of 3–4, fry the egg rolls for 3–4 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined rack.
Serve immediately. Arrange on a platter and serve hot with cheese sauce or spicy mayo on the side. Best eaten within 10 minutes of frying for maximum crunch.

Nutrition (per serving)

Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls — Ma’s Spring Roll Spirit Meets the Festival Booth