Picadillo Empanadas Food

GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS (PICADILLO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef chuck and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the olives, raisins, carrots and onions and saute for just a couple minutes until softened. Add the tomato puree and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and cool to room temperature before filling the empanadas.
• Grease a large baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out to a 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. With a knife, cut out 4 equal squares measuring 4 1/2-by-5 1/2-inches. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef mixture to the center of the square. Brush the edge of each square with some egg wash and fold to shape into triangles. Crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

BEEF PICADILLO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• 1. For the empanada dough: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces.
• 2. Mix the egg, water, and vinegar in small bowl. Use a fork to stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until just incorporated and shaggy. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, gather it together, and then knead just until the dough comes together. Form into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
• 3. For the picadillo: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until browned, about 7 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the beef, and cook thoroughly, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chipotle puree, adobo, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool before assembling the empanadas.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, or heat oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll the cold dough into a circle about J inch thick. Cut the dough into 7- to 8-inch disks. Paint half of 1 disk with some egg white. Place a scant 1/4 cup picadillo in the center and fold the dough over to form a half-circle. Crimp the edges closed with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Paint the tops of the empanadas with egg white. (Or make mini empanadas with 4- to 41/2-inch circles and J cup of the filling. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.) Bake the empanadas on rimmed baking sheets until golden brown, about 45 minutes, or deep-fry for 3 minutes. Serve.

PICADILLO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the tomato and boil 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool 5 minutes, then peel and puree in a blender until smooth; set aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the onion, carrot, olives, raisins and the pureed tomato. Simmer until thick, about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Beat the egg with 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; set aside. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Working with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time, unfold on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch square, about 1/4 inch thick, using a floured rolling pin. Cut into four 5-inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of the picadillo mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold diagonally to form a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork.
• Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

PICADILLO EMPAñADAS WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make the cornmeal dough:
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer proof the yeast with the sugar in 1/4 cup of the milk for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup milk, the whole egg, the egg yolk, the sour cream, and the butter, add 2 cups of the flour, the cornmeal, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough. With the dough hook knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, for 4 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours and punch it down. (The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Make the picadillo:
• In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, the garlic, the jalapeños, the cumin, the chili powder, the oregano, the cinnamon, the cloves, and pepper to taste in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the chuck, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes with the juice, the raisins, the olives, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the picadillo, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, and let it cool. (The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the picadillo return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 6-inch round cutter cut each piece into a round. Put about 1/3 cup of the picadillo onto the bottom two thirds of each round and fold the rounds in half, enclosing the filling. Seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively. Transfer the empanadas with a spatula to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer the empanadas to a rack and let them cool.

CLASSIC CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic, onion, and green bell pepper in the hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Crumble ground beef into the skillet; cook and stir until browned completely, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir olives, raisins, capers, tomato sauce, sazon seasoning, cumin, sugar, and salt through the ground beef mixture.
• Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.