Turn leftovers into barbecue pulled pork empanadas with lemon herb couscous

Summer cookouts mean leftover barbecue. For Chef Lisa Heidelberg, Memorial Day weekend left her with extra pulled pork, which she teaches how to transform into delicious fried empanadas.

“What’s an empanada?” Heidelberg said. “Quite honestly, to me, it compares to my grandma’s Southern hand pie. It’s putting something delicious in dough (and) frying it up.”

Most grocery stores have empanada discs in freezer section, but if you can’t find them, substitute with pie crust. Heidelberg cautions against overfilling the empanadas and recommends to use only about a tablespoon of filling in each.

The best deals on Ninja’s frozen treat and drink makers

Use the tines of a fork to seal the empanadas. “Don’t get too obsessive about it,” Heidelberg said. “The more freeform that it looks, I think the better it tastes, and people know that you took time and used your hands. It’s a beautiful part of cooking.”

If you’d prefer not to fry your empanadas, place them on a baking sheet, spray with oil and bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Don’t feel limited to only using pulled pork as the empanada filling – rotisserie chicken works well too. “You can stuff them with whatever you want. Just have fun with it,” Heidelberg said.