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Ancho Pork and Collard Green Empanadas

Course Appetizer, Snack
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 15 pieces

Ingredients

Collard Greens

  • 1/4 pound collard greens stems removed and rough chopped
  • 2-3 green onions chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 1 fresno chili deseeded and minced
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Green Tomato Salsa

  • 3/4 cup onion diced
  • 1 fresno chili deseeded and minced
  • 2 cups green tomato diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 lime juiced

Empanadas

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup masa harina
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp butter cold
  • 1 1/2 cups ancho braised pork or other pulled pork
  • oil for frying

Instructions

Collard Greens

  • Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Sweat the garlic and the fresno chili.
  • Add the green onions, tomato, and collard greens and cook until everything starts to wilt.
  • Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 2-3 hours until the greens are tender and the liquid is cooked out.
  • Cool the mixture completely.

Green Tomato Salsa

  • Heat a pan with the oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and fresno and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the tomato and all other ingredients except the lime juice. Cook until tomatoes are soft.
  • Cool and mix in lime juice.

Empanadas

  • Combine flour, masa and salt
  • Combine egg, water and vinegar
  • Cut the butter into cubes and cut into the flour mixture.
  • When there are no large chunks of butter remaining, mix in the egg mixture.
  • Knead the dough a couple of times just until smooth. Wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  • On a floured surface roll the dough into 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 4 1/2 inch diameter cutter, cut as many rounds from the dough as possible. Gather the scraps for back into a ball, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Combine 1 1/2 cups of pork with the chilled collard greens.
  • Reroll the rest of the dough and cut rounds. Discard any scraps. There should be 15 rounds.
  • Fill each round with 1 1/2-2 tbsp of pork filling. Brush one side with water and fold in half. Press the two sides together and crimp with a fork. Repeat until all empanadas have been made. Chill until ready for frying.
  • Heat a pot of oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry empanadas until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.
  • Serve with green tomato salsa and crema.