Spiced Beef And Chorizo Empanadas Recipes

BEEF & CHORIZO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a bowl with 1 tsp salt and add the butter. Rub the butter and flour with your fingertips until crumbly. Add the eggs and 100ml cold water, bring together to a dough then turn out onto a floured surface and begin to knead until soft and smooth. Cover with cling film and put in the fridge to rest for 20 mins.
• Remove the chorizo from its casing and add to a mixing bowl with the mince, onion, coriander, parsley, paprika, cumin and chilli flakes. Mix everything together, then cook in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2 mins. Add the tomato purée and cook for a further 7-10 mins until everything is cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Divide the dough into four portions and roll out each one into a thin sheet. Use a 10cm biscuit cutter to cut out discs. Place 1 tsp of filling in the centre of each disc, wet the edges, pinch both sides up and fold in half to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges.
• Arrange on a lined baking tray, brush with beaten egg and bake for 20 mins. When the empanadas are ready, remove from the oven and cool for 5 mins before serving.

SPICED BEEF AND CHORIZO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the boiling water, lard and salt in a mixing bowl or jug, then stir to melt the lard. Put the flour in another mixing bowl, then gradually stir in the liquid, not too quickly, until it forms a smooth dough. As soon as it's cool enough, work it with your hands - the dough will become too stiff at the end to work with a spoon. Once all the water has been incorporated, tip the dough out onto a work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. The aim is to work the pastry to activate the gluten (unlike with shortcrust, which shouldn't be handled too much). When it's soft and pliable, wrap in cling film and chill.
• To make the filling, heat a glug of oil in a large sauté pan or deep frying pan over a high heat. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, then fry on all sides until browned and slightly caramelised (don't crowd the pan - cook in batches if necessary). Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the chorizo to the pan and fry until it releases its oil and turns crisp, then turn down the heat, remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and add to the beef bowl.
• Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently for 5-10 minutes over a low-medium heat, stirring often, until the onion has softened but not coloured. Add the spices and cook for a few minutes, stirring, then add the tomato purée and herbs, and cook for a further few minutes.
• Return the meat to the pan, pour in enough stock to cover, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 2½-3 hours, stirring frequently, until the beef is very tender. If the mixture looks like it's becoming dry at any point, top up with any leftover stock or freshly boiled water. The liquid should reduce and thicken, but don't let it dry out. Once the beef is tender, stir in the spring onions and olives, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely, then shred the meat.
• When you're ready to assemble the empanadas, heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. (You might find the pastry easier to handle if you cut it in half, then roll out the pieces separately.) Cut out about 15 x 12-15cm diameter circles, using a small plate or saucer as a guide, re-rolling the pastry offcuts as necessary. Put around 2 tbsp of filling (which should now be thick - leave behind any runny sauce) into the centre of each circle and brush the edges with water. Fold the pastry in half to enclose the filling and squeeze the edges to close. You can crimp the edges (like a Cornish pasty) to seal or simply press them with a fork.
• Put the empanadas on baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper, then brush with melted lard, butter or beef dripping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp, then remove and leave to cool a bit before eating.

POTATO AND CHORIZO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the sausage renders its fat and gets crispy. Add the onion and garlic; season with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and has a beautiful red color. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and fold them into the pan, using a wooden spoon, break up the potatoes into nickel-size pieces. Add the olives and raisins and toss everything together; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the filling to cool before filling the empanadas. Serve with cilantro cream.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2.
• Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
• Cilantro Cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice together. Mix thoroughly; season with salt and pepper. Serve with empanadas.
• Yield: 1 cup

CHORIZO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Add the flour, butter, salt, eggs and 1 cup water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed until a dough is formed.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• For the chorizo filling: Mix together the chorizo, potatoes, cheese and cilantro in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until combined, then set aside.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, punch out the rounds.
• Wet the dough rounds slightly with water. Place 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of filling on a round. Fold over and crimp with a fork. Repeat until all rounds are filled.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer to 350 degrees F.
• Fry the empanadas in batches until golden brown.

POTATO, PEPPER, AND CHORIZO EMPAñADAS

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Cook chorizo in oil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are very soft, about 15 minutes. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then stir into onion mixture and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add potato mixture to chorizo and stir to combine. Cool filling to room temperature and discard bay leaf.
• Form and bake empanadas:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and form each into a disk. Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp decoratively with your fingers or tines of a fork. Transfer empanada to a baking sheet. Make 11 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 baking sheets.
• Lightly brush empanadas with some of egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.