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Argentine Empanadas
An asado or Argentine barbecue is a sacred tradition that typically starts with empanadas. They are eaten casually, usually served in a napkin. Here is our Meschini family recipe for beef empanadas. Feel free to improvise with fillings of your own. Some of our favorites are roasted peppers with manchego cheese, caprese or spinach and feta.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 onions diced
1 pound ground beef — not too lean
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 hard boiled eggs chopped
Salt to taste
Package of empanada dough discs *
*Empanada discs can be bought from some import stores. We get ours from Bills Imported Foods on Lake and Aldrich street in Minneapolis.
Directions:
1. Heat a sauté pan and warm the olive oil and add the chopped onions. Cooks the onions until just before they begin to turn golden. Remove from the heat and stir in the sweet paprika, hot paprika, crushed red peppers and salt.
2. Spread the meat in a sieve and pour boiling water on it for partial cooking. Allow meat to cool. Place meat in a dish, add salt to taste and cumin. Mix and add the meat to the onion mixture. Stir well to incorporate and place on a flat dish to cool.
Spread the meat in a sieve and pour boiling water on it for partial cooking. Allow meat to cool. Place meat in a dish, add salt to taste and cumin. Mix and add the meat to the onion mixture. Stir well to incorporate and place on a flat dish to cool.
3. Open up a package of empanada dough discs. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture on each round; add some olives and hardboiled eggs. Avoid reaching the edges of the pastry with the filling. Slightly wet the edge of the pastry, fold in half and stick the edges together.
The shape should resemble that of a half-moon. Seal by twisting edge, step by step between thumb and index finger, making sure to add pressure before releasing the pinch and moving onto next curl.
4. Glaze with egg for shine. If you are using a traditional Argentina adobe oven, bake for 40 minutes depending on heat, otherwise preheat oven to 350 degree F. Place empanadas on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. and bake until golden, about 20 to 30 minutes. |
