We couldn’t resist hacking North Park's famous pinsec frito—those crispy fried wontons with that sweet, zesty mystery dipping sauce. While North Park's version has a more cohesive, slightly sausage-like filling, this homemade version has more of a bite. The sauce, however, tastes exactly like the real thing.
From their humble beginnings in Greenhills to a 38-branch institution, North Park is the Filipino-Chinese comfort restaurant of many. If you’re dining at North Park, chances are you’re savoring some of their signature dishes: Special Toast Noodles, Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken, Lechon Macau, and, of course, Pinsec Frito.
A perfect pinsec frito houses a juicy pork filling inside a crisp shell.
Few things disappoint more than biting into a dry, lifeless wonton. Mixing additional pork fat into the wonton filling remedies the problem. It’s like how burger patties need a mixture of lean beef and fat to keep them extra juicy—when cooked, the fat renders out into the filling, resulting in a moist and savory bite.
North Park’s Pinsec Frito sauce isn’t just your regular sweet and sour sauce. The tangy, almost fruity quality comes from a Chinese condiment called plum sauce, a condiment made by combining sweet plums with other fruits like apricots, peaches, and pineapples. Typically, this sauce accompanies fried and roasted foods like or Peking duck as the acidity cuts through the oily richness.
Make crispy pork-filled pinsec frito or fried wontons at home, just like the ones served at North Park.
You can get plum sauce in your local Chinese grocery. But if it’s not easily accessible, you can definitely use sweet and sour sauce instead. Or try a fruit-based jam like apricot, peach, or even sampinit (Philippine raspberries).
Make filling: Place ground pork and fat in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper. Using your hands or chopsticks, stir mixture in one direction until it has developed into a mousse or paste-like texture, about 5 minutes. For faster results, use a food processor to break down the ground pork and fat.
Assemble wontons: Separate wonton wrappers into individual sheets. Lay one sheet on your palm with the points facing you, like a diamond. Scoop 1 tsp of the meat mixture onto the center of the wrapper. Using your finger, moisten the sides with water. Fold wonton diagonally into a triangle and press the edges firmly to seal the wrapper. Repeat with the rest of your wontons.
Fry: Heat enough oil for frying (at least 2 inches deep) in a deep skillet or pot set over medium heat. When the oil registers 350°F or 180°C in an instant read thermometer, fry the wontons in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Using tongs, transfer wontons to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining wontons.
Make dipping sauce: Combine plum sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, and water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Serve with pinsec frito.
