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Carnitas Empanadas using Masa (Corn dough). There are other versions not using corn dough, but using Masa is the way to go. Empanadas can be filled with just about anything, including mashed potatoes, chicken, steak, ground beef, pork etc. Get creative! It will turn out great! These little pockets of goodness are great anytime and you can also make them as an appetizer.

For 12 Empanadas

Ingredients :

2 cups of masa (mix per tortilla directions of bag)

1-¼ cups of warm water (too dry, add water. too wet, add more masa).

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pieces of round plastic cut out from a bag. (freezer bags work well for this purpose).

2 cups of carnitas - cooled (you can also use chicken, ground meat, grated cheese or any filling you prefer)

2 cups of shredded lettuce

1 avocado diced
1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Prepare the dough in a bowl, mixing the masa harina, salt and warm water to form a ball, knead dough until smooth. Divide the dough in 12 balls, (approx size of a golf ball) flatten, cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic and press using a tortilla press, a heavy skillet or a dish. I just used a 9" and 8" cake pan :) so you can use whatever you have available to flatten the dough.
Remove the top piece of plastic and spoon some of the stuffing onto the tortilla. Leaving enough room to seal the edges.
Using the bottom piece of plastic, fold the dough over to make a half moon shape. Pinch the edges, making sure they seal to avoid any leaking of the mixture while frying.
Remove the empanada from the plastic set aside on a plate or tray and cover with a plastic wrap until you have all your prepared empanadas.
Heat your oil in a skillet to 350 degrees
Fry your empanadas one or two at a time until golden brown. (About 2 minutes on each side)
Drain on paper towels.