Empanaditas - Bite Sized Beef Empanadas

Ingredients

Pastry Dough:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3-cup butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tablespoons fat strained from cooked ground beef
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup water

Filling:
1 pound nicely marbled ground beef
1 medium sized finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped green olives
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
2 large finely chopped hard boiled eggs

Glaze:
1 egg separated
1/2 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon milk

Instructions:

1. Cook and stir the ground beef in a 10-inch skillet.
2. Break the meat into small pieces and cook until brown.
3. Drain
4. Preserve 3 Tablespoons of fat for the pastry.
5. Leave about 1 Tablespoon of the grease with the beef in the skillet.

Prepare pastry dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
2. Beat the eggs and water together.
3. Mix in the fat from the beef and the butter - use your hands as if you were kneading bread.
4. Add the egg mixture and work it into the dough.
5. Knead the pastry dough until smooth.
6. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour while making the filling.

Prepare the Filling

1. Stir the finely chopped onion, raisins, olives, pepper, salt and pepper into the cooked meat.
2. Cover the pan and cook the mixture over low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the cottage cheese and chopped hard boiled eggs.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put it all together...

1. Remove dough from the refrigerator.
2. Form dough into a ball.
3. Shape into a flattened circle about 14 inches in diameter on a lightly floured surface.
4. Cut out 11 or 12 circles, 3 1/2-inches in diameter.
5. Spoon on 2 teaspoons of the beef mixture at the center of each circle.
6. Beat egg white lightly.
7. Brush edge of pastry with egg white.
8. Fold pastry circle up over filling.
9. Press flat edge with a fork to seal.
10. Place empanaditas on ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Repeat with the rest of the pastry circles.
12. Collect the unused dough. Form it into a ball and repeat the rolling, cutting and filling until all of the meat mixture is used.
13. Beat egg yolk, water and milk for glaze.
14. Brush this mixture over the tops of the empanaditas.
15. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

Helpful Hints:

For this recipe make sure not to get lean ground beef. You'll want the fat to flavor the pastry dough and some fat to keep the empanaditas from being too dry.

Some recipes call for frying the empanaditas, but many find that a bit too much grease. If you prefer them fried, just heat oil in a skillet or deep fryer and fry until golden brown. Rest on paper towels to drain and serve warm.

Submitted By :

Ana D

Web Link :

Chiff.com Recipe Guide

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