Although the post is coming almost a week late after July 9th (Argentina Independence Day), I am happy to finally write down the recipe for my beef empanadas. I have been asked for this many times, so here it goes. This recipe does not contain raisins or olives.
I have to admit that I always buy the dough, so this is only for the filling. My favorite dough brand is called “La Salteña” and I have not been able to find it in the Philadelphia area. I keep a healthy stash in my freezer that I smuggle every time I travel to Miami. My parents are always kind enough to bring me several packs every time they visit as well (thanks to COVID-19, I won’t have any for a while!). They come in packs of 20 and I usually make two packs. I always get the dough meant to be baked in the oven (not the kind you fry).
Ingredients:
1.5 -2 lbs of ground beef (I like 85 or 90% lean meat)
1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, 1 raw egg
1 small potato
4 garlic cloves, minced
Condiments to taste: paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley (if you have fresh parsley, would use that; sometimes I use dry or fresh basil if no parsley available)
I like to cook the ground beef on an iron skillet but a non-stick one can work as well. I season the beef with all the condiments and brown all the meat before adding the other ingredients. This usually takes a few minutes.
While I cook the meat, I boil two eggs and the small potato, which I peel and cut in small pieces. Once all the meat is browned, I add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes. I then add the tomato and garlic. If I have fresh herbs, I add them now as well. I season the mixture again with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and dry parsley. At this point, the eggs and potatoes should be ready. I chop the eggs with an egg slicer and throw them in. I like to cut the potatoes in tiny cubes and put them in last. I taste the mixture and add more of the condiments as needed.
Ideally, you would have time to let the mixture cool down before building the empanadas. I don’t always have this luxury but it can really stretch the dough if the filling is too hot. Below is a picture of the set up I like to use to assemble the empanadas.
You don’t need that empanada contraption but I am not good at folding the edges, so this makes it easy. If you are not good either, a trick is to use a fork. The dough is a circle, so you put filling on one side, fold the dough over, and then use the fork to put the edges together.
I have a little bowl with water that I dip my finger in to seal the edges. I put the dough on the empanada maker, fill it with one to two tablespoons of filling, use my finger to put water around the whole circumference, fold it over, and put it on a tray that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Once all the empanadas are made, I pierce the tops with forks 3 times and paint them with egg. Once all the empanadas are made, I bake them at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Beef empanadas pair best with a nice Malbec in my opinion but most red wines will do.
Buen provecho!