Pork Pillows

I am using up leftovers again. WHOOO HOOOO!!!!!! You know I get so happy when I can do that. This time I was using up some pulled pork we had taken out of the freezer. I turned it into pork pillows that I deep-fried and served along side the main meal. They are very similar to both Indian samosas or Argentine empanadas.

My original recipe called for beef. You can use beef, chicken or pork and it will all be good. In fact, change it up a bit and make them different every time you make them. I had pork down that I wanted to use, so I made them pork. I only made a small amount since it was just as a side dish for dinner for just the two of us.

I started with my basic go-to-dough.

Jeanne’s Basic Go-To-Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold bitter, cubed

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Mix the flour, butter and salt together in the food processor until it resembles coarse sand. You can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter too.

Then add the egg and cream and mix again until it all forms into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

Pork Filling

1 lb cooked pulled pork, diced into small pieces

1 medium onion, diced fine

2 small leeks, rinses and chopped fine

1 TBSP garlic

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp curry powder

red pepper flakes to taste

salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

olive oil

Get a skillet very hot and add the onions and spices and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until they become aromatic.

Add the pork, garlic, leeks and cilantro and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Roll the dough out very thin and cut it into rectangles. Add about 1 TBSP of the pork filling to the center of each piece, then fold the ends in together to make a square. Pinch then ends tight, then crimp with a fork. I also used an egg wash to “glue” everything together.

Once the pillows were filled, I put them in the refrigerator to set for about an hour before deep frying them in hot oil that was 350* F or 190*C. I fried them for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. These are best when eaten hot and a good flavorful sauce will really make them come to life. You can also bake them, but I prefer them fried.

I served these pork pillows along side some Asian shrimp and asparagus (more on that later) and dipped the pork pillows in the sauce. YUMMY!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.