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Pork Empanada
Chef: Kevin Weeks
Food Mood: Meats
Cuisine: Spanish

Description
This was one of those meals you keep going back for little bites of. A huge and wonderful meat pie, it's perfect for the season, the game, and plain old gluttony.

Servings: 8 - 10

Ingredients
Filling:
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 ea large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb pork loin, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 ea chorizo sausages, cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 cup white wine
2 ea tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 ea bell peppers, 1 ripe and 1 green, diced (about 2 cups)
1 pinch saffron
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp corn meal
salt and pepper to taste

Crust:
9 oz corn meal
9 oz all-purpose flour
1 tsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 ea eggs

Method
Make Crust:
In a small bowl, lightly beat two eggs and add oil and 1/2 cup of warm water. In food processor, mix corn meal, flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. With processor running, pour in egg mixture. Once incorporated, gradually add just enough additional water to form a dough. (You may need to pause once or twice and scrape down the sides of the food processor.) Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for an hour in warm nook of your kitchen.

Make Filling:
In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they just begin to brown. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Scrape into a large bowl.

Return pan to stove, add another 2 tablespoons of oil, increase heat to medium-high, and brown pork in two batches. Add pork to bowl.

Return pan to stove and brown sausage. Add to bowl.

Pour out excess fat and sauté bell pepper until slightly tender. Add to bowl.

Deglaze sauté pan with wine, reducing wine by half. Empty bowl mixture into pan and stir in paprika and saffron. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 20 minutes.

Stir in 2 tablespoons corn meal and cook, stirring constantly, another 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow filling to cool for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 400F.

Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon of water.

Roll out two thirds of dough and line a spring-form pan. Trim excess dough but leave enough to fold edges over top.

Add filling. Roll out remaining dough and, using the pan as a template, cut it into a circle. Position circle on top of filling and brush with egg glaze. Fold edges of bottom over top and, using a fork, press to seal. Cut slots in the top and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

Allow Empanada to cool for 30 minutes, then carefully remove sides from pan.

Notes
Equipment needed: Springform pan and food processor.