A creative twist on empanadas filled with the flavors of a classic Cuban sandwich! These flaky baked empanadas will be a hit at your next get-together.
½cup(112 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1large egg
⅓cup(80 ml) water
Stuffing:
16pickle slices
8Swiss cheese slices
8ham slices
Egg Wash:
1large egg
2tablespoons(30 ml) water
Instructions
Make the roast pork filling: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Chop the pork into 1-inch cubes. Toss in the vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Place in an oven-safe frying pan or small baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 2 ½ hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and shred the pork with the cooking liquid. If there is a lot of excess cooking liquid, use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the excess sauce before using it in the empanadas.
Make the dough: Mix the flour and butter in a bowl. With your fingers, work the butter into the flour until it creates small crumbs. Then beat the egg into the water and pour the water/egg mixture into the flour and mix with a fork. Once it comes together, begin kneading with your hands until the dough is smooth, but not too long because you don’t want to soften the butter too much. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Stuff it!: Roll out the empanada dough into 8 thin rounds. Place half a slice of Swiss cheese followed by a slice of ham, one-eighth of the pork filling, 2 pickle slices, and another half a slice of Swiss cheese onto each round, placing them off to one side. Fold the round over and seal by lightly wetting the edge with your finger. Fold the edge of the dough over itself repeatedly from one end to the other to form the traditional empanada look.
Cook it: You can bake or fry these empanadas. To fry, heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F (180°C). Gently drop in your empanada and let it cook until browned, about 2 minutes. If you want to bake it, set the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, placing the empanadas on top. Beat the egg with the water and brush it evenly over the tops of the empanadas. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.