Curried Pork Empanadas

1. Stage

Make the empanada dough: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, until well blended. Slowly add in the flour, mixing until incorporated. Form two balls (it will be easier to work with 2 separate pieces of dough), then flatten each into a disk. Dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Stage

Cook the pork: While dough is chilling, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Break off bits of ground pork and add to the pan, until all the pork is added without crowding. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the pork. Do not stir. Once the pork is lightly browned on one side, use a spatula to flip the pieces to the other side so the other side can cook. Once the pork is lightly browned on both sides, reduce the heat on the pan to medium, and remove the pork to a bowl.

3. Stage

Make the picadillo stuffing: Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Then add the finely chopped onion. Let onions gently cook on medium heat for a few minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the finely chopped mushrooms, cooking for a few minutes more. Add the curry powder, ground coriander, and cardamom to the pan. Mix the spices in with the onion mix. Add the ground pork back to the pan, mixing in the seasoned onion mix. Add the raisins. Add the sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and corn starch, mixing well. Break bigger pieces of ground pork with the edge of a metal spatula. Remove from heat, and chill until time to stuff the pastries.

4. Stage

Roll out the dough and cut out rounds: Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured, smooth, clean surface, roll out one of the dough rounds to a thin 1/8-inch thickness. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, you may need to let it sit for 10 minutes to soften it enough to roll it out more easily.) Use a wide-mouthed jar or biscuit cutter (about 3 inches wide) to cut out rounds. Place them on a baking sheet. During this and the next step, if the dough becomes too soft and therefore difficult to work with, put whatever you are working on in the refrigerator to chill for 5 or 10 minutes.

5. Stage

Stuff and fold the empanadas: Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the inside edge of the rounds with egg wash (to help the empanadas seal). Place a teaspoon of meat inside each round. Fold the round over to and press the edges to seal shut. Use the tines of a fork to flute the edges. Place standing upright on a baking sheet, spaced an inch apart. (You can also lie them down, but with them upright, you'll fit more on a pan.) Use a pastry brush to brush the sides (not the bottom) of the empanadas with more egg wash.

6. Stage

Bake in oven: Working in batches, cook in the 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Inspired by a curried meat turnover recipe by Janet McCartney. Links: Wikipedia on empanadas Argentina empanadas with video for special Mendoza-style empanada with "repulgue" sealed and patterned edges. Sweet rhubarb and strawberry empanadas from Laylita's Recipes