Pork and Apple Pasty - Recipe & Video: A lighter, butterless baked empanada, filled with lean pork and apples, a sweet and savory filling that combines Christmas flavors.
Season the pork with a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and paprika. Place in a small pot and pour in vinegar and enough water to cover it.
Cook over medium heat until the meat is very tender and flaky, adding more water during the process if it should need it.
Once the meat is cooked through (20-25 mins, adding water as needed to maintain the same level), add in apples, and flour and let the remaining water evaporate almost entirely (do not let the meat get too dry!)
Using two forks shred the pork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For the dough
Use two tablespoons of oil to grease a baking tray.
In a mixing bowl mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of milk.
Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
If the dough is too dry add milk and oil by the teaspoon (alternate milk and oil) until the dough is smooth but firm.
Knead lightly until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too dry add more milk by the teaspoons. If the dough is too shaggy add more flour by the tablespoons.
Wrap in plastic film and let it rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
For the egg wash
Mix egg, milk and oil and whisk until they are well-mixed.
Assembly
Remove dough from the film and divide the ball in halves, then again until you have 16 balls.
Roll out the balls with a rolling pin until it is about 3/32" thick (about 2 mm).
Add a tablespoon of the filling in the center and fold over.
Cut a half-disk (3.5" diameter) with a cup or whatever you have. Remove the excess dough.
Press the edges with a fork and place on the baking tray.
Paint the pasties with the egg wash.
Bake until they are golden brown (10 - 15 mins).
Cool for a couple of minutes on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
What to do with the leftover dough? Use cookie cutters to cut leaves, flowers or whatever is appropriate for the occasion. Also super helpful to cover small holes in the pasties.These cannot be stored after they have been assembled. If you need to make some preparations beforehand is best to cook the filling and prepare the dough and leave the assembly and baking for the last minute. Or bake and then re-heat them in the oven (never the microwave!).Using the right kind of vinegar is important. Not all vinegars have the same acidic content. Make substitutions at your own risk, the wrong vinegar might mean a dish that is too sweet for a savory dish, or a lip-puckering sour mess.You may notice that the video does not follow the same order as the recipe, that is because recipes are written to be understood easily. In real life it's best to work on some things while long-cooking items are doing their thing, thus you are not twiddling your thumbs while the pork cooks (which may take up to an hour).You can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour instead for a lighter empanada, bear in mind that this produces a dough that is a little drier.