It’s hard to figure out where the heat comes from in the duck spring rolls ($8.95) at O’Rourke’s Steakhouse (4611 Montrose, 713-523-4611). Perhaps it’s the complex, bright red dipping sauce made from red chiles, garlic, wine vinegar and a dash of sugar. No, that’s not it. Then it must come from somewhere in the extra-crispy rolls themselves. Like Vietnamese egg rolls, they’re rolled tightly in a thin wrapping, then cut on the diagonal. Deconstruct the filling and — aha! — you’ll discover that the finely sliced duck breast has been mixed with sautéed jalapeño peppers. The reason it creeps up on you is that sautéing moderates the heat. Mystery solved.
This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2006.