March 25, 2010
Chorizo, Potato and Quelites Empanadas
This recipe for empanadas is fairly time consuming, but the leftovers freeze and reheat very well (use a toaster oven for best results), and the recipe may easily be doubled. Makes 12 empanadas (4-6 servings). The empanadas are good plain, but are also good with salsa or sour cream.
Combine dry ingredients, stirring well or sifting to mix. Using a pastry blender or fingers (cut the butter into cubes first if you’re using your hands), work butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal (a few larger lumps of butter are okay). Beat egg, water and vinegar in a small bowl, then add to flour/butter mixture and stir just until incorporated (dough will be shaggy). Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead just enough to bring dough together (overworking makes for a tough crust). Pat dough into a rectangle, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour. May be made a day or two ahead.
Brown the chorizo, breaking up with a spatula to crumble. Once chorizo is cooked through, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Adjust the amount of chorizo grease in the pan (adding butter or pouring off grease if necessary) to ~2 Tbs of fat. Add onions and garlic and stir frequently over medium heat 5 or 6 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add potatoes and cook another minute or two, stirring to keep the potatoes from sticking. Add about half a cup of liquid to the pan (potatoes will not be completely covered) and stir to scrape up browned bits. Cover the pan and simmer, adding additional liquid as necessary to keep things from sticking. Stir occasionally and simmer until potatoes are just tender but are still keeping their shape (about 10-15 minutes). Uncover and add cooked chorizo and quelites. Stir until quelites begin to wilt, then remove pan from heat.