This empanada recipe makes tender pork turnovers. The filling can be used for almost anything else, such as taco filling; can be frozen, baked or unbaked. The pork and the empanada dough can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients
- pork butt roast: 2 pound
- onion, quartered: 1 piece
- garlic: 2 clove
- salt: 0.5 tsp
- oregano: 1 tsp (dried)
- ground cumin: 1 tsp
- bay leaves: 2 piece
- ½ cups all-purpose flour: 1 piece
- Masa Harina: 0.75 cup
- baking powder: 1 tsp
- salt: 0.25 tsp
- lard: 0.5 cup
- egg: 1 piece (beaten)
- milk: 0.5 cup
- chipotle salsa: 1 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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To make the filling: Place pork in a large pot and cover with water. Add onion, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. While pork is cooking, prepare dough.
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To make the dough: Sift together flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening to dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together egg and 1/2 cup milk. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and stir with a fork until dough comes together in a ball. Divide dough into 16 even pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place in a container, cover, and refrigerate.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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After pork has simmered for 1 1/2 hours, remove from liquid. Place pork in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove from the oven (keep the oven turned on) and shred into small pieces. Add salsa to shredded pork.
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Lightly grease a baking sheet.
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On a lightly floured surface, flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to make a 5-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough circle. Brush edges of dough with milk. Fold dough over filling. Pinch edges together. Crimp with a fork to seal.
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Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining empanada dough. Leftover filling can be frozen or used in tacos, tamales, or burritos.
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Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove to rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.