Empanadas are small and beautiful pieces of extraordinary taste. And when I say extraordinary taste, I mean just thinking of these will make your mouth water. Empanadas are pockets of dough filled with a warm, spicy filling of different ingredients. This empanada recipe has beef and spices with the goodness of a few vegetables thrown in. It has flavor tucked inside a tender yet crispy and flaky crust.
The Evolution of Empanada Recipe: A Culinary Journey Across Borders
The word “empanada” comes from a Spanish verb, which means “coated in bread”. The empanada recipe has spread through many countries after its origin and has changed greatly. Different countries have different versions of the empanada recipe.
Some recipes use chicken or even fish instead of beef. Some empanada recipes have different spices. Some even use cheese. These many varieties mean an island of taste for us to explore.
Crafting the Perfect Empanada Dough: Tips and Tricks
Our Empanada dough recipe is easy but you should know a few things about it, just for a little more convenient experience. The empanada dough is just like a pastry dough. If you know how to make pie crust, this will be a piece of pie for you. Get what I did there? Piece of “pie”
Chilled Butter: The Secret Ingredient for Flaky Layers
OK so, remember to use chilled butter for the empanada recipe, as chilled butter releases steam while baking and gives the empanadas nice, flaky layers. Moreover using molten or even room temperature butter will make a tough dough that will be just… not great.
Mistakes in Dough-Making: Quick Fixes and Pro Tips
Don’t worry if you make a mistake, after all, mistakes are the greatest teachers. Some mistakes can be easily fixed. Like if you add less water to your dough. To fix such dry dough all you have to do is take some cold water in a small cup; dip your fingers in it and flick some water on the dough as well (but not too much). Knead the dough and the dry dough problem is gone. If you still think your dough is dry repeat this method.
If you don’t want to make the dough, you can buy pizza dough as a substitute. It works well but I prefer homemade dough… it’s just better.
Filling Matters: Balancing Flavors without Overstuffing
One more common mistake people make is while they are filling the dough, they add too much filling. This leads to your empanadas bursting open while cooking.
The moral of the story, don’t put too much filling in the empanadas. Plus if you add too much filling, it will release more steam, which weakens your seal. Now that we are talking about sealing let’s shed some light on how to do that properly.
Sealing the Deal: Egg Wash and the Finishing Touch
Using egg wash for sealing your empanadas is much more secure than using just water. Also, you should use a fork to press the edges together and then fold the edge of the empanada into its beautiful twisting shape.
Empanadas Beyond Special Occasions: A Versatile Delight
Empanadas are served as the main course in some regions.
They are also served at weddings and parties. But that does not mean they’re only meant for special occasions. This easy baked empanada recipe gives you these wonderful empanadas whenever you like.
If you want a simple yet spicy dinner, put some empanadas and a Mexican chicken and rice salad on the table. Empanadas taste great with salads like Mexican corn Street salad, and quinoa salad with lemon vinaigrette. These amazing dishes together make one amazing feast.
Freeze and Bake: Preparing Empanadas for Any Occasion
If there is a party coming up and you want to make empanadas in advance, you can freeze them. Just cover the tray of unbaked empanadas with plastic wrap and freeze for up to two days. On the party day just pop them in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 400°F (or until they are golden brown). They will be fresh and tasty.
Beef Empanada Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Dough
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 oz (112 grams) Butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
- 1 Egg
- ⅓ cup Ice water
- 1 Egg, beaten for egg wash
Filling
- 1 Large russet potato, peeled and diced in small cubes
- ¾ lb (340 grams) ground Beef
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ Medium onion, grated
- 1 Small carrot, grated
- 1 Rib of celery, finely minced
- 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Peas
- ¾ cup Beef broth
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- FOR THE DOUGH
- Step 1: To make the dough, pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Add thechilled butter, egg and ice water. Pulse the mixture until it looks like coarsecrumbs.Roll the dough in a ball and tightly cover in plastic wrap. Put it in therefrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- FOR THE FILLING
- Step 2: While the dough rests, fill a medium stockpot with three-fourths 9f waterand bring to boil. Put the cubed potato in and boil for about three minutesor until it’s tender.
- Step 3: While the potato boils, roast the beef in a sauté pan with onions, celery andcarrots over medium heat. When the potato is cooked, drain and put it in the need mixture. Cook untilthe beef is well cooked and the vegetables are softened.
- Step 4: Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon and beef broth in the beefmixture. Fry for about a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Put the peas in and simmer over medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add some salt and pepper for flavor.
- Step 5: Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into 8 (or so) equalparts. Roll the pieces of dough till thin on a lightly floured surface. Take oneprepared piece of dough and put 1/3 cup of filling on one side of the dough.
- Step 6: Lightly dip a pastry brush in the egg wash and dampen the edge of thedough. Fold the dough in half and firmly press the edges together.Repeat the same process for the remaining dough and arrange them on aparchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Take abowl and mix an egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the empanadas withthe egg wash until they’re coated and bake for 35 minutes or until they turngolden brown.
