Party Empanadas Recipes

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.
• Make the dough: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
• Form empanadas. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
• To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Cook ground beef and chorizo together over medium heat until done. Pulse in food processor. Chop and saute onion and garlic. Add to meat mixture. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. To prepare jalapeños, char under broiler and put in plastic bag for five minutes. Peel skins and remove seeds. Chop and add to mixture. You can substitute a can a green chili's. Fold in grated jack cheese and thawed corn.
• Place puff pastry in a plastic bag and bring to almost room temperature Place sheet on floured surface. cut along folds into three long strips. Using a floured rolling pin, roll first strip about six times length wise. Put about two Tablespoons of the filling about 1 inch from each end and another just above center. Cut to make three pockets and fold over dough . Enclose by pressing dough together and shape into half rounds using scissors. Optional- using the tines of a fork press around edges. Continue with remaining pastry. Bake 400 degrees until tops are just brown. To freeze, place wax paper between stacks. For parties, bake using frozen pastries straight from freezer.

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute beef and pork until cooked. Strain the meat from the fat and reserve. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked meat to the onions, and saute 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, cilantro, and spinach and saute for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove and mix in the goat cheese until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay out the chilled cut dough on a cutting board. Spoon a small amount of the stuffing into the center of the dough. Fold the top over the bottom and crimp all the way around with a fork. Lay the empanadas on a sheet pan. See Chef's Note. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough appears crispy.
• Chef's Note: At this point the empanadas can be refrozen for future use.