Empanadas si señor

Empanadas are a must try when any person goes to Argentina.

I learnt how to make them, with an Argentinean friend, when I used to live in Spain. But once I got here in Sydney, surprise surprise, couldn't find empanadas Tapas (the already made and cut rounded dough, that only needs to be filled in and baked).
So I adapted.

Anyway, Empanadas are very similar to  pasties. The traditional ones are filled up with minced beef and here is my recipe.


For the Filling:
Ingredients
500kg good quality minced beef
Oil (no measure, to pan fry the onions, around 2 tbsp)
3 eggs
1 red capsicum - Cut very very little, like if it was a red chilli
2 brown onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Sugar (around a tbsp)
1 cup of green olives chopped ( I sometimes use olives filled with capsicum)
Salt and Pepper to taste
a pinch of cumin.
a pinch of paprika
1 Tbsp of Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)
a pinch of chilli (Optional)
50 g of sultanas (Optional)

Method  (By heart)

Your mince should look similar to that. 

In a pan add water and the eggs and leave it to boil. We need the Hard boiled eggs. When it's done, put it aside to cool down.
in the mean time, heat up the oil in a large pan in HIGH and put the garlic and onion.  Keep stirring and after 3 or 4 minutes add the sugar. The sugar will take out the acidity of the onion and give it a nice gold colour.
Add mince and keep stirring until its decently cooked. at some stage here add the Tomato Sauce, cumin and chilli.
If you think is too dry, you can always add a little bit of water while you are still cooking the meat.
Add rest of the ingredients and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
Take it away from the heat.

Cut the eggs in small pieces, add to the meat mixture and mix it well. Doesn't require to go on the heat.

For the Dough


you can try one of these frozen sheets from the grocery store. Either Puff or Short crust. Cut in circles. or you can make it yourself:


Here is a suggestion: ( I will bring up other recipes soon)
1/2 flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup of water
50g of margarine
1 egg

Method:
In a bowl, put the flour sifter with Salt.  Add sugar and mix.
Make a hole in the middle and add the egg.
Heat the water and add the margarine and stir it until is melted.
Pour over the mixture. Mix quickly to form a soft dough.
Leave it for half and hour and then stretch it using a roll until the dough is thin.
Cut in Circles.



To assemble the Empanadas

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

You will need a bowl with tap water to wet your hands.
and one egg or egg yolk, lightly beaten to brush the empanadas on the top (That's optional flavourwise, but a good trick  for knowing when its ready)

If you have space, put the circle in a plain surface, otherwise, get your hand palm very slightly wet and place the dough circle in the middle.

Add the meat filling, around 2 TBSP

You will need to put the two "Ends" together now, to make it in a half circle shape.

You can make the "braidy" style or you can use a fork. It is important to use water to "glue" both ends.





Brush the beaten egg on the top to give that golden Aspect

Put it in the oven for around 20 minutes or until gold.

They can be frozen after cooked and to eat that can be even microwaved.