Counter 09 · Latin Grill
Colombian Empanadas with Aji Picante
Crackly golden cornmeal shells filled with shredded pork, beef and hogao-stewed potato, fried until crisp and served with a sharp cilantro and green onion aji. Colombian street food at home.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 1 hr 40 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Hard
Colombian empanadas owe their color and shatter to masarepa, precooked yellow corn flour, often tinted with a little ground annatto. The filling is humble and deeply savory: potatoes cooked with hogao, the tomato and scallion base of Colombian kitchens, plus finely shredded pork and beef. Keep the dough covered with a damp towel so it stays pliable, and press it between two sheets cut from a zip-top bag for thin, clean rounds. Fry at a steady 350 F; any cooler and they soak up oil.
Method
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Put the pork and beef in a saucepan with 1 tsp salt and water to cover. Simmer, covered, for about 60 minutes until tender. Shred very finely and save 1 cup of the broth.
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Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until soft, drain and mash roughly, leaving some small chunks.
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Make the hogao: cook the tomatoes and half the green onions with 1 tbsp oil and the cumin over medium heat for 8 minutes until thick. Combine with the meat, potatoes and a splash of broth, season to taste and cool.
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Mix the masarepa, annatto, 1 tsp salt and warm water, then knead 2 minutes into a soft dough. Cover and rest 10 minutes.
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Press a golf ball of dough between plastic into a 4 1/2-inch round, add 1 tbsp filling, fold using the plastic, press the edges and trim neatly with the rim of a small bowl.
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Heat the frying oil in a heavy pot to 350 F. Fry 3 or 4 empanadas at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep gold and crisp, then drain on a rack.
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For the aji, finely chop the cilantro, remaining green onions and jalapeno, then stir in the vinegar, 1/4 cup water and the last pinch of salt. Serve with the hot empanadas.
