Empanadas

An empanada is a stuffed breaded pastry, that is baked or fried in many countries in southern Europe, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.

Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing, which usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, vegetables, or fruits, among others. I love empanadas because of the crunchy taste, the food, and the meat inside makes it perfect for a snack or a meal. It’s satisfying and you always want more.  My daughter when she gets home from school smells it from the door and gets crazy, she jumps and gets excited and wants to eat them all at once. Here’s my favorite recipe for empanadas enjoy!!! “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

Recipe for the empanada dough adapted from a recipe by Lorena Lara.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup salted or unsalted butter (very soft)

3 egg yolks

1 cup of cold beer or purque(Mexican beverage), or vine with foam.

Do it in your mixer!!!

Preparation:

Place flour and salt in the mixer bowl. Attach Power knead Spiral Dough Hook to the mixer. Turn to Speed “stir” and mix about 20 seconds. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolks and turn to Speed 2. Add the liquid gradually up to textures the dough (you may not need to add all the liquid) and mix about 2 minutes longer.

Continuing on Speed 2, add more flour or more liquid, or until the dough starts to clean sides of the bowl. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.   

Finish on your working table. The egg and flour have to be a single color. It also has to be silky and a bit sticky and good elasticity at the same time. Cover dough with plastic wrap and a towel. Let it rest for 1 hr.

Then, extend the dough 19 x 14” or 50x 35 cm approx. Cut out in a diameter of 4” or 10 cm for a good size but it’s optional.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center and fold the circle into a half-moon. Use more or less filling, depending on the size of your circles. Pinch and fold the edges to seal them and place the formed empanada onto a prepared baking sheet. Continue to do this with the remaining dough and filling.

To varnish and give golden brightness mix: 1-2 egg yolks w little cold milk. Bake at 350F x 30 min approx. Continue using the remains of the dough. Makes about 20-25 empanadas depend on size.

 If you want to do this with your hands instead of the mixer and want to see it in Spanish, watch this video

http://youtu.be/ga7-pm7RtsA

Argentinean Beef Empanadas:

Recipe for the empanada filling from www.turntablekitchen.com

For the filling:

1  pound of lean ground beef
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped finely
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of capers, finely chopped
olive oil
1 hard-boiled egg, roughly chopped
1 cup of chopped, canned tomatoes (we used San Marzano)
salt and pepper, to taste

1.) To make the filling, heat approximately two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes (until it begins to soften). Add the pepper and continue cooking for another five minutes or so. Adjust the heat so that you do not burn the onion. Next, add the diced tomatoes with their juices and let cook for a few minutes.
2.)  Add the beef, crumbling it with your fingers. Stir in the spices, capers, and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the beef has browned. Stir, occasionally, so that the meat cooks evenly. Stir in the egg and dial down the heat to its lowest point.