Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup of butter
- 1 cup warm milk
- ½ teaspoon of salt
For the filling:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 2 white onions, diced, about 3 cups
- ½ cup of butter
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons ground chili or chili powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 bunch of diced scallions
- 2-3 hard-boiled eggs cut into cubes
- ¼ cup diced green olives
- Salt and pepper to taste
For assembling empanadas:
- 1 egg yolk and white separated
Instructions:
To make the dough:
- Preheat oven at 400 F
- Put the flour and salt in a food processor, mix well.
- Add the butter, and mix again.
- Add the egg yolk and milk in small amounts, mix until small balls of dough begin to form.
- Shape the dough into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thin layer.
- Use a round bowl or mold to cut the dough into circles about 4 inches of diameter for the empanadas. Roll them again flat once cut to make them thin.
To make the filling:
- Heat the butter on a pan with the onions. Cook the onions until translucent.
- Mix the meet in a bowl with all the spices and ingredients except the olives and eggs.
- Add the meet and spices to the pan with the onions. Cook throughly and set aside.
- Let the meet cool before mixing the olives and eggs.
- Take the circles of dough and put about 1 to 2 spoons of filling on them leaving enough dough to close the empanadas.
- Close each empanada making small folds creating a border. Use the egg white to seal the border.
- With a small brush apply egg yolk to the top of the empanadas to create a shine.
- Place the empanadas on a baking sheet prepared with a parchment paper lining.
- Bake empanadas for 25-30 minutes.
- Let them cool on a rack for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Empanadas could be made with any filling of your preference. Another favorite filling is cheese. You may add any soft cheese such as mozzarella or Swiss cheese. Follow the dough recipe and just add a scoop of shredded cheese and fold the empanadas per the instructions. This appetizer, especially the one with beef filling, is very popular in South America and Central America.
