Empanadas de carneo (Argentinian Meat Empanadas) is a traditional Argentinian recipe for a classic pasty of pastry with a beef, egg and olive filling that can be cooked by deep frying or baking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Argentinian version of: Argentinian Meat Empanadas (Empanadas de carneo).
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Few things are more sublime than a good empanada! Many think that real empanadas have to be deep fried to reach their full potential. A good fried empanada, freshly made still warm and juicy, can be a unique gastronomical experience! Also, if you wish to use ready made dough shells for empanadas, choose the ones that say empanada dough for oven, not the puff pastry ones.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
750g of flour
250ml of beef fat
salt
boiling water
For the Filling:
1.5kg beef (your favourite tender beef cut)
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
handful of spring onions.
4 or 5 hard boiled eggs.
100g Olives
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 egg yolk
Method:
For the dough: Form a little mound with the flour on a flat working surface, with a crater in the middle. Prepare a brine by boiling water with two tablespoons of salt and cool down a few minutes. In a deep pan melt the beef fat, let cool a bit but not solidify. Pour the fat into the hollow in the flour then add a few tablespoons of the brine.
Mix quickly, adding more brine if necessary, until the ingredients come together as a dough. This will be a stiff dough and you will need to knead quite hard for the dough to become elastic.
Roll out with rolling pin until very thin, cutting discs with a 15cm diameter cutter or using a bowl as a template.
For the filling: Cut the meat into small cubes with a knife, trimming off the fat as much as possible (ask your butcher to save some work).
Chop the onion, the green parts of the spring onions and the garlic; slice the whites of the spring onions into julienne strips.
In a deep heavy-based frying pan or skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Use to fry the onion, garlic and julienned spring onion whites for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the paprika, chilli powder and ground cumin to a small bowl or cup. Add three tbsp of water and mix to a smooth paste. Add this spice paste to the onion mixture, mix well and let some of the liquid evaporate away.
Add the meat and cook stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat when meat is cooked but not dry. Taste and adjust the seasonings at this point.
Set aside to cool then transfer to the refrigerator and allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours).
To assemble the empanadas: Fill the pastry discs with a tablespoon of firmly-packed filling, an olive, an eighth of a boiled egg. Fold over the pastry to enclose the filling then seal securely by plaiting the edges.
If you are baking your empanadas, as they're finished transfer to a greased baking tray. Glaze the tops with a beaten egg then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180C and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.
If deep frying your emapandas, heat oil in a wok, large pan or deep fryer to 180C. Once the oil is hot drop in the empanadas a few at a time (do not over-crowd the pan) and fry for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve piping hot, accompanied by a glass of red wine.
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