For the dough:

1. Fill a large (4-quart) saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Cut the ends off the plantains. Make a shallow incision down the length of the plantains, then cut them half. Add to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove from the pot and remove the skins. Cut into 1-inch pieces and let cool completely. Process the cooled plantains thru a food mill (fitted with the largest hole die) or a potato ricer. (There will be about 2 cups of puree.) Season with salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon.

For the filling:

1. Mix until thick and scoopable. Chill 15–20 minutes before filling the plantain rounds.

For the sauce:

1. Mix ingredients together, and let sit for 20 minutes to "get happy" together.

Hand-pie assembly:

1. Drop heaping tablespoons of the plantain dough onto a heavily floured work surface and roll the dough in the flour to form rough balls. Press out each piece of dough into a 2 1/2-inch circle, flipping the dough in the flour to keep it from sticking to your fingers. Add more flour to the surface as needed (you will use approximately 1/4 cup of flour for this step).
2. Place 1 tablespoon of the cooled filling mixture in the center of each piece of dough. With lightly floured hands, pick up the dough, fold it in half around the filling and press the edges together with your fingertips to seal the hand-pie . Lay the finished hand-pie on a lightly floured, plastic wrapped baking sheet. Continue until you’ve made all the hand-pies.

If Frying:

1. Heat the oil in a large (10-inch) deep, heavy skillet until hot - about 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry the empanadas 3 or 4 at a time, turning occasionally, until nicely golden, about 3 minutes total.

If Air-frying:

1. Preheat the air-fryer at 375°F for 3–5 minutes
2. Lightly coat both sides with oil or egg wash + a little oil spray
3. Place in the air-fryer at 375°F for 18–22 minutes
4. Flip the hand-pies around the 10–12 minute mark
5. Done when the outer shell is Deep golden, firm/crisp outside, and heated through