Mom's Empanadas

 

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup evaporated milk

2 whole eggs

3 tablespoons sugar

For Filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1 pound ground pork

1 medium potato, chopped, washed, then soaked in water

1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce

For the Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

For the dough:

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a big bowl. Beat eggs in a small bowl, stir in evaporated milk. Add sugar and stir. Cut butter into flour, use hands until mixture is pea-sized. Add egg mixture to center of flour mixture. Mix until dough forms a ball.

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

For the filling:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Sauté the pork, cooking until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside. With the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and drippings sauté the onion until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Then add the oyster sauce, raisins then carrots. Add a few tablespoons of water then add peas and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are done. Drain excess fat.

To assemble:

Tear golf-ball sized pieces of chilled dough and roll into balls. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles. Once your dough has been rolled out, place 1 1/2 to 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle.

Brush a small amount of egg wash lightly over one half edge's border. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.

Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake empanadas until golden brown, about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Lightly beat together the egg and water. Brush the empanadas gently with the egg wash. Cover with foil and bake another 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze cooked empanadas plastic wrapped in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm through in a 300℉ oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes.

NOTES:

I made these Jan 2008 for Mexican movie night at Mckenzie's. I sifted the flour but only got enough pastry to make 16 versus 24 like mom did.