Pukacapas Spicy Cheese Empanadas Bolivia Food

PUKACAPAS - SPICY CHEESE EMPANADAS (BOLIVIA)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and put everything except for the cheese into the hot oil. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Then take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese.
• While the filling is cooking, make the dough. Blend all the dry ingredients with the butter, then add the milk and eggs. Blend until you get a smooth dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough until it is pretty thin and cut into circular shapes.
• To assemble, drop the filling into the middle of one of the dough rounds, leaving enough space to join the two pieces of dough. Cover the filling with another piece of dough, then moisten the edges a little with water and pinch together.
• Cut small slits in the top of each pastry to vent.
• Beat the egg and use it to brush the tops of the pukacapas. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.

SPICY BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven at 375°F Pour some cooking oil in a skillet and press cloves over the pan.nAdd chopped shallots and fry on low heat, until soft but not browned. Add a bit of salt and the chopped red chili pepper.
• Add ground beef and let brown on med-high heat. Drain the mixture put back in skillet. Add bell pepper and cook on high for about a minute.
• Turn heat to med-low and add cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, flour, and tomato sauce. Turn off the stove and let cool to room temperature.
• Now mix some worcestershire sauce (to taste, I love it and put it in practically everything, but can be omitted), vinegar, lemon juice, habanero pepper sauce (or tabasco). To add a hint of sweetness, I add tomato ketchup, about 5 tbs.Stir in chopped egg, jalapenos and cilantro. Add pepper and salt to taste.
• Let pastry thaw and cut 5" circles.
• Put pastry on baking sheet. Put about a spoonful of the meat mixture on one half of the circle. Put some beaten egg on the edges and fold. press edges with a fork. Put some more egg mixture over the empanadas for glaze. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins until golden brown.

SPICY EMPANADAS

Steps:

• To make the dough-.
• Cut the chilled lard into small pieces and mix into the flour with your fingers until it is lumpy and coarse.
• Don't overwork it.
• Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, while stirring it with a fork or spoon until it forms a ball.
• You will have to pick it up and form the ball, but you will still see the lard in it, a bit like streaked marble.
• It should be a little sticky, but not too.
• Put it in the fridge for an hour to chill and then remove and let it come to room temperature for one hour before you roll it.
• When you are ready to fill the empanadas, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch.
• Cut 4 inch circles with a cookie cutter, or whatever you have on hand.
• A friend taught me the secret to puff pastry dough.
• It is this-2 parts flour to 1 part lard (butter has water in it and therefore will not be flakey like lard.) You can alter the amount of dough you need but keep this simple formula and you will have success.
• You can also use ready made dough to speed things up considerably.
• To make the filling-.
• Soak the raisins in the white wine until plump, about 20 minutes, do this before you start the rest.
• Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them (yes, GRATE them on your cheese grater) by pressing down hard right down to the skins.
• Discard the skins.
• Add the contents to a blender and add the reconstituted ancho and the chipotles, juice of 1 lime and ½ of the cumin.
• Blend until smooth.
• Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, about 15 minutes.
• Drain off the excess fat and add the onions, stir until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the diced Jalapeño, and the Serranos, stir until fragrant and a bit soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add the glass with the raisins, including the wine and stir, while scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated and the raisins are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the pressed garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the rest of the cumin, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon and salt and stir for about 30 seconds.
• Add the contents from the blender, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Taste, and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
• HINT- if you use chipotles in adobo, omit the tomatoes, and use a little low-sodium chicken broth to thin the sauce, if necessary.
• To fill them-.
• Have a fork, a glass of water, and some excess flour handy.
• Dip your finger in water, and run it around the bottom half of the dough circle, on the edge, like a smiley face.
• Take a tablespoon of filling, a pinch of cheese and then fold the dough over it and press down gently, so it stays in place.
• Take the tines of the fork, dip them in flour and press down around the edges of the empañada to seal.
• Poke a hole in the top and freeze immediately.
• Adjust the amount of filling so that the empanada is not over-filled, but plump.
• Your first ones will be ugly, but with a little practice, they will turn out perfectly, and well sealed.
• This will make about 30+ empañadas, depending on how much filling you put inside.

FRITANGA - SPICY PORK AND EGG STEW (BOLIVIA)

Steps:

• Cut the pork meat up into bite sized pieces and put it in a pot with the cold water. Heat to a boil and keep boiling until all the water is gone.
• Remove the meat out of the pot and set it aside. Add the onions and a dash of salt and fry until translucent.
• Add the tomato, herbs and all the spices except for the cayenne pepper. Cook for two or three minutes until the tomato softens up a little.
• Add the cayenne pepper and fry for another minute or two.
• Add the water or broth followed by the pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for two hours, adding more stock as necessary to keep the amount of liquid in the pot at more or less the same level.
• Five minutes before you are ready to serve, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the green onions. Add the beaten eggs, stirring quickly to keep them from scrambling.