Empanadas

 

Pastry

3 cups (450 g) flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup lard, cold and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 tsp vinegar

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in lard. Beat egg and mix with water and vinegar. Add to dry ingredients and stir until a cohesive lump forms. It is better to err on the side of a wetter dough - a dry dough does not come together after resting the same way a pie crust with more fat does. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour to rest. 

Filling

1 white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

500 g ground pork

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 small potato, finely diced

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 Tbsp soy sauce 

2 Tbsp oyster sauce 

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 water

Soak raisins in just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside for 10 minutes, then drain and chop finely. Brown the ground pork and drain then set aside. In the same pot, saute onion until soft, then add the garlic, carrots, and potato. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, then add back the cooked pork and add the water and seasonings. Continue to stir and cook until the potatoes and carrots are just barely tender. you may need to add more water if it starts sticking. Add the raisins and peas. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Cool filling to room temp or colder.

Divide dough into 18 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten out with a rolling pin. Dough should be about the thickness of a perogy wrapper. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling and fold in half, pinching around all sides to fuse the dough together. It should look similar to a perogy. Crimp edges in a rope pattern, or press with a fork to seal. 

Chill finished empanadas in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before frying. Fry at 350-375 deg F until deep golden brown on both sides.