Beef Empanada's

I wish I could show you some of these empanadas but they are gone.  POOF.  Vansihed. Why? I believe its the delicious factor.  This one pictured here is the only one left.  It is left because I could not fry it because of the hole it had in it.  It would have leaked all over.  So I baked it.  They are very good baked.  But they are amazing, over the top, fried.  

This is a great meal to make ahead.  You can prep everything ahead of time.  Right up to the frying or baking part.  Dough and filling should be made ahead so they are chilled.

Where do empanadas originate from?  Seems like the best answer is Portugal.  Read about them here at Wikipedia.

BEEF EMPANADA'S
Recipe adapted from this recipe at the NY Times.

1 pound beef chuck, in 1/8-inch dice
Salt and pepper
Lard or olive oil, or a combination, for sautéing
1 cup diced onion
2 ounces diced chorizo
½ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup chopped pitted green olives

dough: 

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold butter – sliced
1 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1/3 cup ice cold water 

egg wash:

Use this only if you are going to bake them.  It will give the empanadas a nice golden color.

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

For the dough: With a fork stir together egg and milk.  Set aside.  In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix flour and salt.  Add pieces of butter to the flour mixture. Process or mix until flour has become clumpy or mealy.  Add in wet ingredients all at once.  Gently stir just until combined.  Gather up the dough pressing it together so it is cohesive.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. Better yet, overnight.

For the filling:  Saute onion until translucent.  Add in chorizo and potato, cooking until potatoes are tender.  Add in oregano, paprika, thyme and garlic.  Cook one minute.  Add in tomato paste and about a 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and add in olives and capers.  In a separate pan, cook beef.  Add the beef to the mixture.  Chill.

Make the empanadas:  Take a ping-pong ball sized amount (like, a 1/4 of a cup) and roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.  Place filling in the center and fold the dough over it onto the other side. Be careful not to get the filling near the edges or it will not seal properly.  Crimp the edges. Place on greased sheet, brush on egg wash and bake in a preheated 350F oven.  Or fry in about a 1/2 inch of oil.  Make sure your oil is good and hot before you lay the empanadas in there.  If your oil is nice and hot it will not absorb as much oil.  Cook until golden.

Empanada Bites and Hand Pies

I use to buy Goya empanada dough disks and admittedly sometimes I still do in a pinch but really making your own dough is totally worth it.  Empanadas are more about the filling of course but this dough is one of the best I have made.  It turns out quite flaky despite the absence of lard in the ingredients. I know I know itr has butter but really lard makes a more flaky dough.  I always bake my empanadas simply to reduce the fat of deep frying.

Okay back to my quilt.  I have been working pretty hard at getting this quilt done.  You can see some of the pieces if you are interested at my craft blog, Craftication.  My goal is to get it on my bed- as soon as possible. My bedroom awaits for its makeover.

Chorizo Shrimp Filling

6 ounces chorizo
1 pound shrimp
1 (about 3/4 cup) red bell pepper, chopped
1 (about 3/4 cup) green bell pepper, chopped
1 (about 3/4 cup) onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oil
4 ounce sharp cheddar, shredded

Saute onion and peppers in oil. Add chorizo and saute until browned.  Right before it is done add the garlic and cook one minute more.  Place in bowl when done.  Add cumin and uncooked chopped shrimp to mixture.  Mix in shredded cheese.

Empanada Dough

3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
9 tablespoons (4.5 ounces) unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

In a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine flour salt and baking powder.  Mix in butter in small pieces, then yolk and finally add the ice water- tablespoon by tablespoon.  As soon as the dough becomes cohesive enough it is ready.  In a food processor you can easily see this process take place.  Stop mixing and gather up the dough into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for 30 minutes.  You can do this the day before if you want that part of the process out of the way.

Break off two inch hunks and form into balls.  Roll out the dough to an 1/8 of an inch.  Form ovals.  Spoon 1/4 cup of filling or more if you can fit it in.  Fold the dough over and carefully pinch the dough together all around.  If any of the filling oozes out it will prevent the dough from sealing and you will have leakage when you bake it.  Brush with an egg wash for a nice color.  I did not use the egg wash but wish I had. Bake the empanadas at 375.

If you want little open empanada bites below, press some dough into tart forms or mini cupcake molds.  Place some filling in them and bake at 375 until you can see the dough pull away from the sides a little.  These are great little appetizers.