Beef Picadillo Empanadas
Beef Picadillo Empanadas
| These little meat pies could be the hit of the party. |
| INGREDIENTS |
| Filling |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil |
| 1 pound lean ground beef |
| 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped |
| 1 clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 tomatoes; peeled, seeded and chopped |
| 1 cooking apple; peeled, cored and chopped |
| 1 serrano chile pepper, chopped |
| 1/2 cup California raisins, plumped in warm water |
| 1/4 cup green olives, chopped |
| 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves |
| 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves |
| 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin |
| Salt and pepper |
| Dough |
| 3 cups masa harina for tortillas |
| 3/4 teaspoon salt |
| 1 tablespoon lard |
| 2 to 3 cups warm water |
| PROCEDURE |
| Filling |
| Heat oil in sautépan over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté, breaking up any chunks until nicely browned. Add onion and garlic; continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes more. Season to taste and cool. |
| Dough |
| In a large bowl mix masa, salt and lard together. Gradually, add enough water to form a smooth soft dough. Divide into 30 walnut-size balls. Place a ball of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten into 6-inch circle with a tortilla press. Remove top layer of plastic and place 1 tablespoon of filling in center of dough. With fingertip or pastry brush, brush edges of dough with water. Fold over and seal. Remove from plastic and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for all. Pan fry or deep fry in hot oil until nicely browned. |
| Yields: 30 appetizer-sized empanadas |