The filling (Guiso):

Cook the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tablet for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. taste for salt and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, salt, cilantro, Cumin, and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes. Taste for salt and add this mixture (the "guiso") to the potatoes

Prepare the pork (or beef or chicken if you prefer). I cut pork shoulder into small 1-inch pieces and fry hard to brown them. Once cooked through I drain off the oil then run through a processor. Reserve the oil if you would like to add some back into the mixture. Traditionally, the pork is stewed and then shredded, and the water reserved for use in making the dough.

After tasting for salt, transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potato and guiso and mix well to combine. Once again with Goldilocks. Too wet is no good and too dry takes away from taste. Err however on side of dry.

Then prepare the dough (Masa):

Place the Masaharina in a large bowl. Add the salt and stir to mix well.

Combine lime juice, oil and water and add bit by bit while eliminating any dry balls that form

Pat the dough into a ball and knead well for 2 -3 minutes or until smooth. You will know it is adequately smooth when it does not stick to the bowl nor to your hands. Apart from the test that it is not sticky, texture is critical and a bit like the Goldilocks conundrum. The goal is to feel like playdough. Too wet and it won't hold up and too dry and it will be too inflexible in forming the empanada. Just right again is playdough and it just takes a little practice. Once again err on the side of too dry.

Cover once right with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes in refrigerator.

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Assembling the empanadas:

Video of Sylvia and Calvin making the empanadas

Measure small portions of the dough:

About 1 tablespoon each one (approximately 25g) for the smaller white 4.25 diameter press

Form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.

Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and press each with a tortilla to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place:

Approximately 20g of the filling in the center of each. if you gain proficiency you can get up to 25g per empanada

Then, if using the plastic mold, place the same plastic over the mold, then the dough and then fold over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.

Calvin (California Calvin) does not use a mold and simply folds over the plastic sheet manually making sure to press out the air and then crimps with an inverted bowl. This is a fluency that I don't have.

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xffz497rwyw

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Deep frying the empanadas:

Fill a large pot with vegetable oil or peanut oil and heat over medium high heat. Add a 1/2 marble size ball of the masa and when it eventually floats to surface the oil is ready.

If using an automatic deep fryer set the temp at 380

Carefully place 4 or 5 larger or 8-10 of the smaller empanadas at a time in the heated oil and wait for them to float. Do not agitate them before this as they might be damaged. After 5 minutes they will be floating, and it is time to gently flip them over. Continue to fry an additional 4 minutes. The goal is to have a hard and golden crust. Salt and set aside while you cook the next batch.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ají, sliced avocados and lime on the side.