Mini Pork Empanadas Recipes

PORK EMPANADAS

Steps:

• 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.
• To make the dough: Sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and 1/2 cup milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and stir with a fork until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide the dough into 16 even pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place in a container, cover, and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• After the 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 fork. Remove from oven (keep oven turned on) and shred into small pieces. Add salsa to shredded pork.
• Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• On 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 fork to seal.
• Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining empanada dough. Leftover filling can be frozen or used in tacos, tamales, or burritos.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove to rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

MINI PORK EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese spread and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition. Shape into ball. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, brown meat with onions in large saucepan. Stir in bouillon and spices. Remove from heat. Add potatoes; mix well. Cool completely.
• Heat oven to 400ºF. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use 3-inch cutter to cut dough into 40 rounds, rerolling dough scraps as necessary
• Spoon 1-1/2 tsp. meat mixture onto center of each dough round; brush edge with egg. Fold in half; press edges together with fork to seal. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cut small slits in tops to vent; brush with remaining egg.
• Bake 18 to 20 min. or until golden brown.
• Variation: Use the jalapeno cream cheese

BARBECUE: MINI PULLED PORK EMPANADAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 6 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 16 pulses.
• Transfer the flour mixture to a large mixing bowl. Working with 1/4 cup of water at a time, sprinkle the water over the flour mixture and stir it in using a rubber spatula, pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl to form a dough, until no small bits of flour remain (you may not need to use all of the water).
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Press each dough half into a cohesive ball, then flatten the ball into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 2 hours.
• While the dough rests, place pulled pork in a small bowl and add enough vinegar sauce until meat is very moist (you may not need the entire 1⁄2 cup of sauce).
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into an 18-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 18 rounds and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, discarding the dough scraps. Place a heaping tablespoon of pulled pork to the middle of each round. Seal dough around filling, using tines of a fork to crimp edges shut. Repeat with second disk of dough and second prepared baking sheet.
• Brush empanadas with the egg. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the trays halfway through the baking time. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with a bowl of barbecue sauce, if desired.