Beef Empanadas

This week is Cinco de Mayo. According to Wikipedia, this day isn't really recognized as a big holiday in Mexico itself (like I've always thought). Rather it is mostly celebrated in the U.S. as a day to recognize Mexican heritage and pride. Who knew? I mostly think its just a lot of fun to say "Cinco de Mayo" and to have a fun reason to make a Tex-Mex meal! If you're looking for some ideas, there are several good ones here on this blog. Including Chicken Flautas/Taquitos, Fajitas, Taco Salads, and Chicken Enchiladas. You might be looking for a good side dish like Spanish Rice or Beans. And of course there is a good Tortilla recipe, salsa, and pico de gallo on here too! But here's one more idea (in case that isn't enough!)--Beef Empanadas. I made these for me and the kids this past week and they went over pretty good! It was a great way to get some veggies snuck in! They are a little bit of work, but most of it can be done ahead of time. I took lots of pictures for those of you that ask to see more of the process on doughs. I think this is a decent base recipe that can easily be tweaked to your own tastes! Oh, and my new observation on life? Nearly every culture has some dish that is a deep-fried piece of dough with something yummy inside or its own version of a meat pie!

Beef Empanadas

Filling:

1-2 Tbs oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (this was not too spicy)

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 pound ground beef (I think you could sub any ground meat!)

1 small potato, peeled, diced and boiled (about 1 cup worth)

3 green onions, chopped

Dough:

3-4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water

1 egg

1 egg white

1 tsp vinegar

3 Tbs shortening, butter, or margarine

Oil for frying.

For the dough:

In a small bowl, mix together the water, egg, egg white, and vinegar. In a separate bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour and salt. Cut the shortening or butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. 

Mix with a fork until well combined. 

Add additional flour as needed and once you have a workable dough turn out onto a well floured surface to knead. 

Knead until dough is smooth and holds its shape. (You can see the difference in the above pictures I think--the first one is going to be too "runny" and sticky.) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. 

For the Filling:

Place oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and seasonings. 

Cook until onions are translucent. Add beef and cook until browned. Drain any excess fat. 

Allow filling to cool, then add cooked potatoes and green onions. Refrigerate this until ready to use if you are making ahead!

To assemble the Empanadas:

Divide dough into 20 small pieces. Using a well floured workspace, roll out each dough piece into a circle with about a 3-4 inch diameter. 

Place a couple spoons of beef mixture on one side of the dough. 

Dip your finger or a brush in a cup of water and slightly wet the edges of the dough circle. Fold over in half and press together edges with a fork (the water just helps it seal better!). 

Try not to roll your dough so thin that you'll make holes as you assemble them. I worked in batches of 5, rolling 5 pieces of dough, filling them, and sealing them. Place on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet as you assemble. Preheat a pot with oil for deep frying. When oil is ready, drop in as many empanadas as your pot will comfortably hold.

Fry until golden brown and bubbly, flipping once. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream for dipping! 

Notes: I also tried baking some of mine in a 425F oven for 15-20 minutes until browned. Because this dough recipe didn't have any sort of rising agent, I felt they were a little flat, but certainly a lot healthier for us. I might would add 1 tsp baking powder to the dough and try them that way if baking again. 

Freezing: You can freeze these pre-fried! Simply place them individually on a cookie sheet and put the whole cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the empanadas are frozen, you can them place them in a ziplock bag together. When ready to eat, just remove from freezer--allow to sit out 20 minutes or so (make sure to lay out on a cookie sheet again so they don't squish together) and then deep fry as you would have.