Empanadas I Food

BASIC EMPANADAS

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.

EMPANADAS

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.)

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook about 6 minutes, until translucent. Crumble in the beef and add the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the vinegar. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until chilled. Stir in the olives and hard boiled egg whites.
• If baking the empanadas, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and coat 2 baking sheets with vegetable oil.
• When working with the empanada disks, always keep all but the disk you're working with covered with a damp towel (not too wet). If the disks are very firm, place them 1 at a time on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll them to 1/2 to 1 inch larger than they are - to make them a little more pliable.
• To fill: lay an empanada disk on the work surface. Place about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of the dough disk. Tuck a cube of cheese into the center of the filling. Use your finger to wet the edges of the disk with water and fold over to seal. Gently press the tines of a fork along the edge to crimp. Lay the empanada on a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough disks.
• Brush the tops of the empanadas with vegetable oil and bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot!
• If frying the empanadas, fill a skillet 3/4 inch deep with vegetable oil and heat to 360 degrees F, over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Fry the empanadas in the oil until golden brown and crisp - about 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Remove with tongs, letting the excess oil drip off back into the pan. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet and kepp warm in the oven while you fry the remaining empanadas. Serve hot.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
• Blend in the cold butter cubes using you fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (the mixture should be pea-size).
• In a small bowl whisk together egg, ice water and vinegar.
• Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will look somewhat lumpy).
• Transfer the mixture onto a LIGHTLY floured surface.
• Gather the dough together with your hands and gently knead with the heel of your hand once or twice (just enough to bring the dough together, do not overwork the dough or it will be tough!).
• Form the dough in a semi-flat ball or rectangle.
• Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• Roll out the dough, then cut into desired size circles.
• Fill with favorite fillings then close the dough over the filling as you would a pierogi.
• Brush the ends with egg wash then seal together with a fork.
• Bake as desired.