Argentina - Empanadas Mendocinas

I'm really looking forward to these, they look like cute little cornish pasties. Apparently Empanadas can have many different fillings, I chose this recipe that uses beef.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

* 3 cups flour

* 1 egg yolk

* 0.5 cup lard

* 1 cup of warm milk

* 0.5 tsp salt


For the filling:

* 1 lb ground beef

* 2 onions, chopped

* 0.5 cup lard

* 2 tbls paprika

* 2 tbls chili powder

* 1 tbls chopped oregano

* 0.5 tbls cumin

* bunch of spring onions

* salt and pepper to taste

* 1 egg, white and yolk separated


To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the lard in small pieces and rub into the flour using the tips of your fingers. Continue until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and the warm milk with a metal spoon. Form into a ball with your hands and put aside in the fridge while you make the filling.

Melt the lard in a pan and add the chopped onions. Saute these until they are soft. Add the beef and all the spices and mix well. When the beef is browned add the chopped spring onions and take off the heat.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough and use a small plate or bowl to cut circles into it.



Add a spoonful of the beef mix to the centre of the circle and brush the edges with the egg white. Fold over and use a fork to press down the edges. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and place on a greased baking tray.

Bake for 25 minutes at Gas Mark 6.



I was really pleased with how these turned out, they looked fantastic. They tasted good too, all the spices in the meat gave them a nice hot taste.



10 recipes down, 186 to go!

Comments