Beef Empanada's

I wish I could show you some of these empanadas but they are gone.  POOF.  Vansihed. Why? I believe its the delicious factor.  This one pictured here is the only one left.  It is left because I could not fry it because of the hole it had in it.  It would have leaked all over.  So I baked it.  They are very good baked.  But they are amazing, over the top, fried.  

This is a great meal to make ahead.  You can prep everything ahead of time.  Right up to the frying or baking part.  Dough and filling should be made ahead so they are chilled.

Where do empanadas originate from?  Seems like the best answer is Portugal.  Read about them here at Wikipedia.

BEEF EMPANADA'S
Recipe adapted from this recipe at the NY Times.

1 pound beef chuck, in 1/8-inch dice
Salt and pepper
Lard or olive oil, or a combination, for sautéing
1 cup diced onion
2 ounces diced chorizo
½ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup chopped pitted green olives

dough: 

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold butter – sliced
1 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1/3 cup ice cold water 

egg wash:

Use this only if you are going to bake them.  It will give the empanadas a nice golden color.

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

For the dough: With a fork stir together egg and milk.  Set aside.  In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix flour and salt.  Add pieces of butter to the flour mixture. Process or mix until flour has become clumpy or mealy.  Add in wet ingredients all at once.  Gently stir just until combined.  Gather up the dough pressing it together so it is cohesive.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. Better yet, overnight.

For the filling:  Saute onion until translucent.  Add in chorizo and potato, cooking until potatoes are tender.  Add in oregano, paprika, thyme and garlic.  Cook one minute.  Add in tomato paste and about a 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and add in olives and capers.  In a separate pan, cook beef.  Add the beef to the mixture.  Chill.

Make the empanadas:  Take a ping-pong ball sized amount (like, a 1/4 of a cup) and roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.  Place filling in the center and fold the dough over it onto the other side. Be careful not to get the filling near the edges or it will not seal properly.  Crimp the edges. Place on greased sheet, brush on egg wash and bake in a preheated 350F oven.  Or fry in about a 1/2 inch of oil.  Make sure your oil is good and hot before you lay the empanadas in there.  If your oil is nice and hot it will not absorb as much oil.  Cook until golden.

Pumpkin Empanadas

Pumpkin Empanadas. Oh, yeah!  Now, if pumpkin isn't your thing (REALLY?) then sweet potatoes could definitely be substituted.  But this is not about sweet potatoes, its about pumpkin.  I really need to write an ode to pumpkin because I love pumpkin that much.  Seriously!

This one is baked.

My daughter liked the dipping sauce but she preferred soy sauce over it.  Me and my husband went crazy for the cilantro dipping sauce.  I used this recipe here for the sauce.

This one is fried.

Pumpkin Empanadas

dough:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold butter – sliced
1 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1/3 cup ice cold water

filling:
2/3 cup Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1 15 ounce package ricotta cheese
1 quart (4 cups) pumpkin, chopped and roasted*
salt and pepper

egg wash for brushing on empanadas if you plan to bake them.
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Make dough:  With a fork stir together egg and milk.  Set aside.  In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix flour and salt.  Add pieces of butter to the flour mixture. Process or mix until flour has become clumpy or mealy.  Add in wet ingredients all at once.  Gently stir just until combined.  Gather up the dough pressing it so it is cohesive.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

In the mean time you can make the filling.

For filling: Roast the pumpkin until golden and tender.  Not crunchy.  You can puree some or all.  I did half and half.  I wanted some texture in there.  Mix the pumpkin, parsley, cumin, ricotta and salt and pepper.  Stir to combine. Finally, add the asiago.

Make the empanadas:  Take a ping-pong ball sized amount (like, a 1/4 of a cup) and roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.  Place filling in the center and fold the dough over it onto the other side. Be careful not to get the filling near the edges or it will not seal properly.  Crimp the edges. Place on greased sheet, brush on egg wash and bake in a preheated 350F oven.  Or fry in about a 1/2 inch of oil.  Make sure your oil is good and hot before you lay the empanadas in there.  If your oil is nice and hot it will not absorb as much oil.  Cook until golden.