Pulled Pork Empanadas With Apple Chimichurri Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine chicken with 1 cup Chimichurri. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat saute pan with oil and saute the chicken with the salt until done. Add remaining 1/2 cup Chimichurri and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture in center of an Empanada Disc and close by hand or with a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bake until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir flour and salt together in a bowl.
• Blend the shortening into the flour mixture with a metal spoon or hands until well blended.
• Combine the egg with 2/3 cup room temperature water. Stir 1/2 cup egg mixture into the flour until the dough starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the egg mixture as needed (you may need a little more water). The dough should be smooth.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour but preferably overnight.
• Place dough on a floured surface and roll into desired thickness before cutting. Use a 5-inch round cutter for the discs.
• Combine parsley, red peppers and garlic in a medium bowl.
• Add olive oil and vinegar and mix. Add salt, pepper, oregano and paprika and mix well.
• Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

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.

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle or food processor, add garlic, aji, and salt. If adding the parsley, add it now. Ground until very fine. Transfer to a serving container. Add vinegar, water and oil. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• For Abuela Chabe's Seasoning: Stir together the annatto (if using), cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and curry powder in a small bowl (see Cook's Note).
• For the empanadas: Put the chiles de arbol, garlic and 1 cup water in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot® multi-cooker and set to high saute (see Cook's Note). Stir 2 tablespoons salt into Abuela Chabe's Seasoning, then roll the pork into the mixture, packing it into all the crevices. Set the Instant Pot® trivet in the bottom of the multi-cooker and place the pork on top. Set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour. After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release and wait until the natural release cycle is complete, about 10 minutes. Be careful of any remaining steam and unlock and remove the lid.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut against the grain into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer the slices to a medium bowl. Remove the trivet from the Instant Pot® and transfer the garlic cloves to the bowl with the pork. Discard the chiles and set the liquid aside. Shred the pork and garlic, then add 3/4 cup of the liquid and stir to combine. Taste, adding more liquid if necessary. Let the pulled pork cool to room temperature.
• Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Brush the bottom half edge of an empanada disc with beaten egg, then place 1/4 cup pulled pork in the center. Bring together the bottom and top edges of the disc to form a half moon shape, then place the empanada on a flat surface. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed, then brush the top with beaten egg. Repeat with the remaining empanada discs and pulled pork and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the empanadas are dark golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes.
• For the guasacaca: Put the vinegar, garlic, jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, onions, sugar and a pinch of salt in a blender and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or sugar, if necessary. The guasacaca can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes 1 3/4 cups (see Cook's Note).
• Serve the empanadas with the guasacaca if desired.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine olive oil, vinegar, parsley, oregano leaves, and chipotle and puree. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Preheat a broiler and arrange a rack 6 inches from the heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.
• Place pork on the baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Broil until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove pork from broiler and let rest 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine greens, cherry tomatoes, cheese, and chimichurri dressing to taste. Arrange salad on plates or a platter.
• Cut chops into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange on top of salad, drizzle with additional dressing, and serve.
• * Instead of making the Chimichurri from scratch, you can also purchase ready-made pesto sauce, mix it with the vinegar and the chipotle then season it according to taste.
• Serve this satisfying salad with a crusty roll or a small pile of tortilla chips. To vary the recipe, change the greens to spinach, arugula, or romaine. Add sliced red onion, black olives, or shredded carrots. You can even grill or pan-sear the pork chops instead of broiling.