Potato And Beef Empanadas Recipes

Steps:

• In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk until dough comes together.
• Knead dough 10 to 20 times or until smooth. Divide dough in half; shape into flattened rounds. Wrap each flattened round in plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold yet pliable.
• Heat nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; add beef, potato, onion, garlic and jalapeño, stirring to break up beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked and potatoes are tender when pierced with tip of a knife. Remove from heat; drain, and pour beef mixture into ungreased 2-quart baking dish or shallow pan with sides. Stir in tomatoes, pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate uncovered 10 minutes to cool.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Using floured rolling pin on work surface sprinkled lightly with flour, roll one round of chilled pastry 1/8-inch thick. Using 5-inch round cutter, cut out circles. Refrigerate any leftover dough scraps to use for later rolling.
• On center of each dough circle, place 2 tablespoons cooled beef filling. Top with 1 teaspoon cheese. Brush egg all around edge of circle.
• Fold dough in half over filling, gently stretching dough to cover filling. Press to seal edges of empanada with fork. Place on cooking parchment paper-lined large cookie sheet. Brush top of empanada with egg.
• Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, repeat steps on assembling and baking empanadas with second half of refrigerated dough and refrigerated leftover dough.

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Once cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet and cook onion and spring onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook and stir until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Season with paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Remove beef mixture from heat, add potatoes and olives, and mix well. Stir in chopped hard-boiled eggs and set filling aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease with olive oil.
• Place an empanada pastry round on a flat surface and lightly wet edges with warm water. Put a large tablespoon of cooled filling in the center and fold pastry over. Seal edges by pressing with a fork. Repeat with remaining rounds and filling. Transfer empanadas to the prepared baking sheets and brush with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare the filling: Place potato cubes in a medium saucepan, cover with water and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until cubes are completely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, using a flat palm, press the cut side of the tomato against the large holes of a box grater and grate the tomato until you're left with just the skin. (The skin should protect your hand from the grater.) Discard the skin, then transfer the tomato and any juices to a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Add beef or pork, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until the pieces are quite small and completely cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add onion, scallion, paprika, bouillon (if using), and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Immediately add the grated tomato and its juices, and cook, stirring, until the mixture is quite dry, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer meat mixture to the bowl with potatoes and stir together with a fork, letting the potato get roughly mashed up. (The filling should form cohesive balls when gently packed.) Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, bouillon and pepper to taste. Allow to cool completely. Spreading it out on a large plate or tray and placing it in the fridge will speed up this process.
• Assemble the empanadas: Divide masa into 24 golf-ball-size balls. Working one ball at a time, place inside a plastic zip-top bag and press down with the bottom of a skillet to form a circle about 3 inches in diameter. Carefully remove from the bag and transfer to a clean cutting board or tray. Repeat with remaining dough balls, laying them out side by side. Cover the disks with a clean, lightly damp kitchen towel.
• Working one empanada at a time, place about 2 teaspoons of meat mixture in the center of the disk. Lift the front and back edges and seal them at the top by gently pushing them together. Seal the empanada, working from the center outward until both ends are completely sealed. Gently curve the empanada to form a slight crescent with the sealed edge at the top. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
• In a large Dutch oven or wok over high, heat 2 quarts oil until it registers 375 degrees on an instant-read or frying thermometer. Using a metal spider or slotted spoon, lower empanadas into the hot oil one at a time. You should be able to cook about six empanadas per batch. Cook empanadas, adjusting heat to maintain an oil temperature of 325 to 375 degrees, until empanadas are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or metal spider, transfer empanadas to a paper-towel-lined plate or bowl and immediately season with salt.
• Serve empanadas hot, with a bowl of ají and a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the empanadas and into them as you eat.

Steps:

• To Prepare the Salsa Picante.
• Prepare the day before you plan to make the empanadas.
• In a medium sized container with a lid, mix all ingredients for the salsa picante.
• Cover tightly, and put in the fridge for at least overnight, preferably a bit longer, in order to let the flavors blend.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• To Prepare the Filling.
• In large skillet, sauté hamburger meat, onions, and garlic over medium heat until the hamburger meat is crumbled up and browned.
• In a large pot, combine the browned meat mixture with the remaining filling ingredients.
• Cover mixture with 1/2 inch of water and bring to boil.
• Let boil for one minute, then cover and turn heat to low.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the water is absorbed.
• If the water boils out before the potatoes are tender, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time until the potatoes are tender and the water is all absorbed.
• When the filling is ready, turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• To Prepare the Dough:.
• While the filling mixture is cooling, combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl.
• Knead until smooth and form.
• When the filling mixture is cooled to room temperature, divide dough into 6 equal parts.
• Roll each part up into a ball, and shape into a circle, approximately 1/8" inch thick (I use my hands for this, I find that a rolling pin only sticks to the dough).
• In the center of each circle, place approximately 2 Tbsp of filling.
• (Leave a margin of about 1/4-1/2" around the filling, in order to fold the empanada).
• Fold the dough in half, so it covers the filling.
• Pinch the edges together.
• If there are any cracks in the dough, or around the edges, simply put a little bit of water on your finger and smooth the cracks together.
• Deep fry the empanadas in hot vegetable oil until the outsides are golden brown.
• Serve with Salsa Picante.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put 2 cups boiling water, 4 ounces lard and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl. Stir to melt lard and dissolve salt. Cool to room temperature.
• Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead for a minute or two on a floured board, until firm and smooth. Add more flour if sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the filling: Season chopped beef generously with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Melt 3 tablespoons lard in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and fry until nicely browned, stirring throughout to keep pieces separate, about 5 minutes.
• Turn heat down to medium and add onion and chorizo. Keep turning mixture with a spatula, as if cooking hash, until onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme and marjoram and stir well to incorporate. (Add a little more fat to pan if mixture seems dry.) Season again with salt and pepper and let mixture fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón and cayenne, then a cup of broth or water. Turn heat to simmer, stirring well to incorporate any caramelized bits.
• Cook for about 10 more minutes, until both meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce just coats them - juicy but not saucy is what you want. Taste and adjust seasoning for full flavor (intensity will diminish upon cooling). Stir in scallions and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Divide chilled dough into 1-ounce pieces and form into 2-inch diameter balls. Roll each piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Lay circles on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
• Moisten outer edge of each round with water. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each round, adding a little chopped green olive and some hard-cooked egg to each. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place empanadas on parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops lightly with lard or butter and bake on top shelf of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.