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.

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.

SPICY BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven at 375°F Pour some cooking oil in a skillet and press cloves over the pan.nAdd chopped shallots and fry on low heat, until soft but not browned. Add a bit of salt and the chopped red chili pepper.
• Add ground beef and let brown on med-high heat. Drain the mixture put back in skillet. Add bell pepper and cook on high for about a minute.
• Turn heat to med-low and add cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, flour, and tomato sauce. Turn off the stove and let cool to room temperature.
• Now mix some worcestershire sauce (to taste, I love it and put it in practically everything, but can be omitted), vinegar, lemon juice, habanero pepper sauce (or tabasco). To add a hint of sweetness, I add tomato ketchup, about 5 tbs.Stir in chopped egg, jalapenos and cilantro. Add pepper and salt to taste.
• Let pastry thaw and cut 5" circles.
• Put pastry on baking sheet. Put about a spoonful of the meat mixture on one half of the circle. Put some beaten egg on the edges and fold. press edges with a fork. Put some more egg mixture over the empanadas for glaze. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins until golden brown.