This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Illyanna Maisonet (Ten Speed Press, 2022). Reprinted here with permission.
You can purchase Diasporican here [1]
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ½ cup vegetable shortening or manteca
- ½ cup water with 2 ice cubes
- 1 ¼ cups picadillo, recipe follows
- Canola oil for frying
Method:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. With the tips of your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour. Gradually add the water without letting the ice fall into the bowl.Continue to combine the mixture until it comes together, then knead for a few minutes and form into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the chilled dough to ⅛ inch thick. Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter or mold (Sometimes she uses the top of margarine containers), cut the dough into ten circles.
- Put 1-2 tablespoons of picadillo in the center of each dough circle. Bring one side of the circle over to the other side and enclose the filling. With a fork press the tines all along the crescent seam to seal it closed. Alternatively, you can fold a small section along the crescent seam onto itself, repeating the process to create a rope effect.
- Place a wire cooling rack in a baking sheet and set near the stove. Fll a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 2 inches of canola oil and place over medium-high heat. You want enough oil to lightly cover the empanadillas. Heat the oil until it registers 350F on an instant-read thermometer. (Sprinkle in a little flour; if the oil sizzles, it’s ready for frying.)
- Place the filled empanadillas in the hot oil a few at a time and fry for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until they turn a deep golden brown. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared rack.
- Serve the empanadillas immediately.
Note: You can substitute store-bought empanada dough, found in the freezer section of your international markets, or use rolled pie crusts, which are sold in the refrigerated section of the market.
Picadillo
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 russet potato, coarsely diced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, coarsely minced
- 1 pound ground bison or ground beef
- 1 tablespoon sazón, recipe follows
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup sofrito, recipe follows
- 2 tablespoons finely minced olives, plus 2 tablespoons olive brine
- 1 tablespoon finely minced capers
Method:
- Add the olive oil to a skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the potato, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the bison to the skillet and season with the sazón, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix to combine the meat and spices and then brown the meat for 3 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the tomato sauce, sofrito, olives, and capers and cook the mixture down for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the olive brine and cook for 5 minutes more.
All-Purpose Sazón
Makes 10 tablespoons
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup ground achiote
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- In an airtight container, mix together the achiote, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and pepper. Store in a cool place for up to 6 months.
Sofrito
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 green bell pepper, quartered
- 1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch culantro, coarsely chopped
Method:
- In a blender, process the tomatoes until finely chopped. Add the onion and garlic and process until finely chopped and incorporated. Add the bell pepper, cilantro, and culantro and process until the mixture is well combined and mostly smooth.
- You can use the sofrito immediately, cover it and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, or pour it into an ice-cube tray and freeze for up to 6 months.