Ever wondered how to make empanadas?
Or perhaps I should back up…
Ever wondered what an empanada is?
Well, we’ve got answers.
Empanadas are a meat stuff pastry that are SUPER popular in Argentina and Chile.
And better yet…
We have a delicious empanada recipe straight from an Argentinian woman we meet on our wine tasting tour in Mendoza. So without further ado, bring on the empanada!
How to Make Empanadas
Empanada Filling
Ingredients:
- Lard (You can get lard from a butcher… or use oil if you must.)
- Onion 600 grams (Chop very fine, till they’re transparent.)
- Ground beef 300 grams
- Paprika
- Raisins
- Red pepper flakes (Not the incredibly hot ones.)
- Salt
Directions: Place a saucepan on the stove top and turn on to medium. Add lard and be generous because as it’s going to be the juice of the empanadas. When it is hot, add the onions and cook for one minute. Add the ground beef, paprika, raisins, red pepper flakes and salt. When the ground beef is cooked, turn off the stove. Let the cooked ground beef cool. You want to wait to add the ground beef to cool BEFORE adding it to the dough because you want the fat to turn solid. Optional: Instead of using raisins you can use chopped olives and hard boiled egg.
Image by avlxyz (Flickr)
Empanada Dough
Ingredients:
- 500 grams flour
- 50 grams of lard (You can get lard from a butcher… or use butter.)
- 3-4 ounces of hot water
- Salt
Directions: In a mixing bowl, add flour and make a hole in the middle of the flour. In another bowl, add the lard, hot water, and salt to dissolve together. Add the lard, water and salt mixture slowly into the middle of the flour and mix until it’s soft and doughy. Roll and stretch the dough in your hands until to form into little discs about half a centimeter thick. Note: If you don’t want to make the empanada dough yourself, you can buy pre-made dough from any Latino or Mexican grocery store.
Image by Nidia (Picasa)
Empanada Stuffing and Cooking
Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Have a bowl of water, empanada filling, empanada discs and buttered roasting pan ready. Take a dough disc and add a spoonful of ground beef filling directly in the middle. With your finger, put water on the sides of the disc, drawing a circle around the edge. Fold dough in half making a half moon shape, joining the sides of the dough together. Place the stuffed empanada on the buttered roasting pan. Bake empanadas 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is golden. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuE9z3Sol4w There you have it… and all inclusive recipe on how to make empanadas - delicious Argentinian snack that pairs perfectly with a bottle of red Malbec or white Torrontes wine. Learn more about Argentina wines to help with your pairing. Enjoy! Featured image by Velo Steve (Flickr).
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