Meat Filled Empanadas Food

EMPANADAS (BEEF TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce, olives, Sofrito, Sazon, garlic, oregano and black pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out discos until 1/2-inch larger in diameter. Spoon about 1 tbsp. meat mixture into middle, fold in half to form a half moon; moisten edges with water and pinch to seal closed, or seal with a fork.
• Fill a deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 2 1/2-inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking (350 degrees F on deep-fry thermometer). Cook Empanadas in batches until crisp and golden brown, flipping once, 4 - 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, scallions, and bell pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add ground beef, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin to the onion mixture. Cook and stir beef until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then cover and place in the refrigerator until meat is completely cooled, about 1 hour.
• Remove filling from the refrigerator and transfer into a colander to drain. Return filling to the Dutch oven.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Liberally grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Place about 2 tablespoons filling into the center of an empanada disc. Fold empanada in half into a crescent shape, press the edges of the dough together with a fork or your fingers to seal, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining empanadas and filling. Brush tops with egg white.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

ARGENTINEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Sift the flour, mix the sifted flour and salt in a large bowl.
• Mix in the solid margarine or butter with your fingers, (best to cross cut with two knives). The flour should have an even, coarse texture, with the margarine lumps no larger than a pea.
• Beat together the water, eggs, and vinegar in a bowl. Slowly mix into the flour mixture, until you have the desired consistency (it should not be too sticky, but still malleable).
• Place the mixture on a floured surface. Knead with the heel of your hand to bring the dough together.
• Cover the dough and allow to sit in a cool place for at least an hour.
• Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 of an inch (0.3 cm) thick. Cut into circles about 4-6 inches (10 - 15 cm) in diameter and lightly flour them.
• Heat some oil in a large saucepan. Mince the onions and garlic, and add to the pan. Cook until the onions become translucent.
• Add the ground meat. Break it up with with a spoon and cook, stirring until lightly browned. Drain off fat.
• Mix in the cumin, pepper flakes, and sugar. Adjust to taste.
• Chop the hard boiled eggs and halve the stuffed olives. Carefully mix into the meat mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF/200ºC.
• Stuff the empanada dough wrappers. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Dampen the outer perimeter of the dough.
• Fold over, forming a semicircle. Pinch a corner of the dough, and then fold that section onto itself. Pinch and pull out another 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) section and fold over, so that it slightly overlaps the first piece. Repeat along the length of the folded side, until you create a braided or twisted seal.
• If desired, brush the tops of the empanadas with beaten egg yolk for a nice golden color.
• Place the folded empanadas on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

EMPANADAS PAISAS (MEAT-FILLED TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• Combine the onions, scallions, salt, pepper and ground cumin seed in a plastic bag large enough to hold everything. Add the meat and marinate overnight.
• Remove meat from the marinade, reserve marinade.
• Brown the meat in the vegetable oil, then add the reserved marinade and add water. Cook until the meat is tender (40 minutes). Remove and grind the meat. Save the stock from cooking the meats.
• Sauté the onions and scallions in 4 Tbsp oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry an additional 3 or 4 minutes.
• Mix in the ground meats and meat stock and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Peel and mash the cooled, boiled potatoes and add them to the meat and vegetable mixture.
• Mix the salt, pepper and ground cumin seed into the meat and potato mixture.
• For the dough:.
• Boil the dry yellow corn in sufficient water to cover the corn, for about 30 minutes.
• Put the cooked corn through a grinder.
• Add the salt, cornstarch and brown sugar to the ground corn.
• Knead the dough until it is thoroughly mixed and forms a firm ball.
• Pick off small pieces and form into the size of small balls. Flatten each piece thin.
• Put about 1 tsp of the meat mixture in the center of the flattened ball. Fold over and pinch edges together to close and form a pretty edge.
• Place in deep, hot vegetable oil and fry about 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove and put on paper towels in a colander.
• Serve immediately or reheat in a paper bag in the oven prior to serving.
• The meat mixture can be made in advance and stored in the freezer, but the dough must be made fresh the day of use.

EMPANADAS ARGENTINAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon caul fat. Add the chopped meat and white scallion slices, and saute until slightly browned. Add raisins and spices and cook until meat is cooked through. Stir in green scallion slices and roasted peppers. Let mixture cool.
• Fill empanada discs with meat, add 1 olive and 1 slice of egg. Seal the empanada.
• Preheat oil in a deep sauce pot fitted with a frying thermometer to 375 degrees F. Deep fry the empanadas in the oil for about 3 minutes. Remove from oil with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.
• *Available frozen at specialty markets.

EASY EMPANADA FILLINGS

Steps:

• Pick your filling by using the notes in the ( ).
• Ensure if there is meat, onion, potato in your filling it is cooked in advance.
• Pick up one of your rolled out biscuit empanadas ( see my recipe Easiest Empanada Dough EVER! ).
• Ensure all fillings are cooled.
• Layer filling onto empanada to equal about 2 tbsp of total filling.
• Fold empanada in half.
• Crimp edges with a fork.
• Either wash in olive oil, butter, or egg wash.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
• OR you may fry till golden brown.
• ** chicken pot pie instructions **.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Still stirring, slowly add the broth. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
• ** pizza instructions **.
• Spoon sauce then cheese then 2 pepperoni slices on an empanada.
• **vegetarian**.
• Spoon each ingredient in very small amounts.
• ** for a beef or chicken**.
• Cook meat till no longer pink add in onions and peppers till soft then combine all ingredients in a bowl and spoon 2 tbsp of each mixture onto empanada.
• ** taco empanada*.
• Cook meat till no longer pink add in onions till soft in a bowl combine all ingredients and mix spoon 2 tbsp of mixture onto empanada.

MEAT EMPANADA FILLING

Steps:

• Boil meat until tender, cool, grind fine.
• To 2 cups of the minced meat, add the spices, nuts, brown sugar.
• The filling must be moist.
• If the filling is too dry, add more apple jelly or corn syrup.
• (Cooking time includes preparation time).