Food Network: Pork and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Pork and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Recipe courtesy Peter Dunmire at Silk City Philly, Philadelphia, PA

Pork:
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup smoked sweet paprika
1/4 cup cumin powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup black pepper
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into large cubes

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
Pinch sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold water

Filling:
1 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup black beans, cooked
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salsa:
1 cup diced pineapple
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Glaze:
1/2 cup chipotle pepper puree
1/2 cup honey

Oil, for frying
Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

For the pork:

Combine the spices with pork and let marinate for 2 hours. In a large pot add the pork and enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the meat pulls apart easily. Set aside to cool. Shred with a fork.

For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients and shortening and mix. Add small amounts of the water at a time until the dough forms. Knead for a few minutes, and then wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 1 hour. After the dough rests, on a floured table roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut 4-inch disks and set aside in the refrigerator. Excess scraps can be rolled again for more disks, just allow the scrap ball to rest before rolling.

For the filling:

Mix equal parts cold water and flour to use as a binder for the empanadas. Fill the dough disks with a generous spoon of the filling, brush the outer edges with the flour and water mix and then fold over so it looks similar to ravioli. Crimp the edges with a fork and set aside for frying.

For the salsa and glaze:

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients for the salsa. In a separate bowl combine the ingredients for the glaze.

Preheat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry the empanadas for about 3 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Brush the empanadas with the chipotle honey glaze and serve on a bed of the salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and some of the glaze.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 1 hour
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

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