Beef empanadas
Ideal as part of a picnic or tucked into lunchboxes, these Mexican hand pies are delicious
SERVES
12
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
60
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
Ingredients
- For the pastry:
490g plain flour
½ a tsp sea salt, sieved
2 tsp baking powder, sieved
150g cold butter cubed
For the filling:
a dash of rapeseed oil
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
½ a small red pepper, seeds removed, and flesh finely diced
400g minced beef
4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbs tomato purée
20g olives, de-stoned and chopped
100ml stock, preferably beef stock
To decorate:
1 egg, beaten
Method
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder and rub in the butter until it forms rough bread crumbs. Bring the pastry together with cold water, adding it a ½ a tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. It should combine well but not be sticky. Wrap it in parchment and allow to cool in the fridge for at least an hour.
To make the filling: heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until it is turning translucent. Add in the garlic, chilli and red pepper and fry gently until the pepper is softening, stirring as you fry. Add in the beef mince and break down any large lumps, fry until it has all changed colour. Add the spices, tomato purée and stock and allow to simmer away for about 10 minutes without a lid. Season to taste and set aside to cool.
Pre heat your oven to 190°C and line two flat baking trays with parchment.
Roll the pastry into 12 discs of about three millimetres in thickness. Spoon about two tablespoons of filling into the centre of each disc and fold the pastry over. Seal around the edges by pinching the pastry tightly crimping the edge.
Brush each parcel with the beaten egg and place onto the prepared trays.
Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
