Beef Baked Empanadas

Name: Beef Baked Empanadas
Total time: 10800 s
Yield: 20 empanadas
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large sweet Spanish onions; 3 Tbsp vegetable oil; 1 lb ground beef, preferably 85/15; 2 clove garlic; 2 tsp sweet paprika; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 2 Tbsp tomato paste or 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce (optional, just for umami); 2 eggs, hard boiled; 1 red bell pepper; 4 scallions; 8 green olives, pitted; 40 Raisins; 1 egg (for eggwash); 20 discs for empanadas

Ricardo @tallcook

Manhattan, New York, United States

I was born and grew up in Buenos Aires, where empanadas are a staple. While in New York I started and ran an empanada manufacturing business for many years. These days I just make them for pleasure. I prefer them baked, not fried. And this recipe is personal: feel free to tinker with it.

Ricardo @tallcook

Manhattan, New York, United States

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Ingredients

3 hours (includes cooling time)

20 empanadas

2large sweet Spanish onions
3 Tbspvegetable oil
1 lbground beef, preferably 85/15
2 clovegarlic
2 tspsweet paprika
2 tspground cumin
1/8 tspcrushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tspsalt
1/4 tspground black pepper
2 Tbsptomato paste or 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce (optional, just for umami)
2eggs, hard boiled
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1red bell pepper
4scallions
8green olives, pitted
40Raisins
1egg (for eggwash)
20discs for empanadas

Saved

Steps

3 hours (includes cooling time)

1

Peel and dice the onions.
2

In a large pot like a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Stir occasionally so onions get cooked but not burned.
3

Mince the garlic.
4

After 30 minutes, onions will start softening and changing color. This process is called caramelization and makes the onions sweet (which is good). Keep stirring frequently. The onions should start acquiring a light amber color after 45 minutes of cooking. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
5

Add the beef and brake it with a spatula or wooden spoon. Every couple of minutes keep breaking the beef lumps until there are no more lumps and there is no more pink/red color on the beef (this takes approximately 10 minutes).
6

Add all the spices and the salt (and tomato paste/Worcestershire sauce if desired). Mix and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and let completely cool.
7

Meanwhile, remove tops and bottoms of scallions. Thinly slice them.
8

Char the red pepper over fire. Let cool and then seed, peel and dice. OR just dice the raw red pepper.

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9

Hard boil the eggs, peel and dice.
10

Dice the pitted olives.
11

Add the scallions, red pepper, eggs and olives to the cool beef/onion mixture. Mix well. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate.
12

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If available use the convection oven mode.
13

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
14

Beat one egg.
15

Take a dough disc in your hand, put a spoonful of the beef filling on the center of the disc, add two raisins, and put a little of the egg-wash (beaten egg) along half the border of the dough.
16

Fold the bottom half of the disc over the top half and seal by pressing the thumb and the index of the other hand. Put some egg-wash on the pressed area.
17

Proceed to double-seal by folding upward the bottom tip of the empanada using your thumb and the continue till the end. OR keep the empapada on a cutting board and double-seal using a fork.
18

Place each finished empanada on the lined sheets. Refrigerate until oven is heated. Remove from refrigerator, paint top and sides of the empanadas with egg-wash and make a couple of perforations on the top of each empanada (do not puncture the bottom) in order for the heat that will build up inside the empanada to escape.
19

Bake for 8 minutes. If using a conventional oven, it may take 1 or 2 minutes longer.
20

Let them stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
21

Empanadas freeze very well. Once cooled completely, double-wrap them in plastic. Reheat frozen empanadas (do not thaw them) at a preheated 450-degree F oven (or toaster oven) for 10/12 minutes. Let them rest for 5 minutes before enjoying them.