Empadinha ( Goan Pork Pies)

Empadinhas are a delicious hand held snack filled with nostalgia and all things delicious . Although a little time consuming to make the the final results and family delight will surely  make it worth your time in the kitchen.


Ingredients


For the pastry:

250 g. flour
4 egg yolks
5-6 tablespoons butter, frozen and grated.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Knead all the above ingredients till a soft dough is formed and keep aside. Add extra butter if required, do not use water.


For the filling:
1/2 kg. pork chopped fine or minced
6 large onions, finely chopped
Vinegar, to taste
Salt, to taste
1 tsp Sugar

Masala:
2 green chillies
1 red chilli
1/2 inch piece ginger
6 flakes of garlic
a pinch or two of cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
6 peppercorns
1 inch piece cinnamon
6 cloves

1 egg yolk for glazing pies


Method

Mix together the cut/minced pork and the ground masala well. Brown the  onions in a little oil, add the meat mixture and fry well. Add two tablespoons vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar to balance , salt and a little warm water just enough to allow the meat to cook. Remove from fire when the preparation gets relatively dry.

Divide the dough into small even-sized balls. Spread them thinly on  greased aluminum  'forminha' or muffin forms, fill with meat stuffing and cover with remaining dough. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius, brush the pies with some beaten egg yolk and bake them  on a tray till light brown.

Enjoy these delicious handheld mini pork pies with a glass of your favorite port.