Broke Student Cooking: BBQ Pork & Mango Wontons

This unusual combination of barbecue sauce, pork, and mangoes is tasty, satisfying and a bit fancy.

Serve as an appetizer for entertaining or simply indulge yourself. You can boast that you ate fresh fruit since mangoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. And the pork? Well… it’s protein!

BBQ Pork & Mango Wontons

Cooking Utensils:

• Cutting board
• Pan or baking sheet, large enough to hold rack of ribs
• Spoon, brush, or baster
• Knife
• Work bowls (2+)
• Fork
• Tablespoon
• Teaspoon
• Wok or large pot
• Large heat-resistant spoon (slotted, ladle – whatever you have)
• Paper towels

Ingredients:

• Egg roll wrappers (usually available near salad items)
• Oil – preferably peanut, but veg or canola works
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado for every 6 wontons
• 1 mango for every 6 wontons
• Rack of pork ribs – any type, 1/4 lb. or more
• ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Lemon or lime juice
• 1½ cups BBQ Sauce
• Water

Ribs:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ribs on sterile cutting board and season with salt, pepper, and other spices you prefer. Lay two layers of foil with the shiny side up on a roasting pan or baking sheet and place ribs with the meatier side touching the foil.
2. Bake ribs, basting every 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours (checking often). When meat is almost done, spread 1 cup BBQ sauce and bake uncovered until done. While baking, thoroughly wash cutting board with soap and warm water and prepare the avocado and mango mix.
3. Once pork is done, remove from oven and slice into individual ribs to separate then using a knife or form remove meat from ribs. Chop finely, place in bowl and toss with remaining BBQ sauce.
4. Wash cutting board again.

Avocado Cream:

Scoop avocado out of skin and place in a clean bowl. Add sour cream or yogurt and mash with a fork. Add a splash of lemon or lime juice and mash some more. Set aside.

Mangoes:

Thoroughly dice on cutting board, getting chunks as small as possible and add to avocado cream mixture. Gently mix together with fork.

Putting It All Together:

1. Separate the egg roll wrappers laying them individually on a clean cutting board. Spoon one tablespoon of the pork in the center of each wrapper and top with 2 tsp mango/avocado mix distributing evenly over meat.
2. Fold wontons in a roll, triangle, or dumpling form though egg roll style is recommended. Moisten fingertips with water and run along wrapper to seal edges.
3. Pour the oil into wok or pot and heat over medium-high heat until a little water sprinkled over the oil sizzles. Using large, heat-resistant spoon, gently place wontons in oil turning every 60 seconds until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
4. Wontons are ready to serve once they stop steaming. Serve with sriracha mayo, BBQ sauce or the avocado and mango mix (blended until smooth).

The price for this meal is $5.91 and the total price is relative to how much of each ingredient was used. I spent $18.14 buying the ingredients, but the pork can be used throughout the week and the remaining egg roll wrappers frozen.