Empanadas!!

I love these little treats so much, I decided to make them again, and repost this post below.  Enjoy!
----------------------------------
This past weekend we went to a wine tasting party where the hosts open about 20 bottles of Malbec.  When I received the invite, it stated, we’ll provide the wine, you bring your favorite appetizer.  What better to go with Malbec, than Empanadas.  Below are a few types I have made.  In addition to these recipes I have included some information about how to wrap them and some of the more traditional closures. 

There is no wrong way to make an Empanada.  In many South American countries these are street food, and vary from vendor to vendor.  You can add ANYTHING you want to the filling.  In the past we have had a corn mixture, cheese, as well as Apple and Bananas.

As for the closures, once they are folded you have no idea what’s inside, so the closure/fold is the key to knowing what is inside.

Bob’s take on Traditional Empanada

3lbs of Ground Beef, browned (I use Ground Turkey, and no one can tell the difference!!)
3 T. Olive oil
1 med Sweet Onion, diced
3 T. Cumin Seed, toasted and ground (you can buy store ground, but it’s ground too finely for me)
¼ C Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Cornstarch & Chicken Broth, to thicken
15 large stuffed green olives, diced
6 Hard Boiled Eggs, diced
1 Can (14oz) dices tomatoes

Brown ground meat in olive oil. Mix in cumin, salt and pepper. While this is cooking, dice up the hard boiled eggs and olives. When meat mixture is browned (DO NOT LET DRY OUT!!), mix in eggs, olives and tomatoes(with juice). While this is warming up, mix about ½ cup chicken broth with about 2 T cornstarch (I don’t measure), mix cornstarch mixture into meat mixture, allow to thicken. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Shredded Chicken and Poblano Empanadas

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package (or so) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 roasted, peeled, seeded and diced Poblano Peppers
2 Potatoes, cooked and diced
Mexican style salad dressing
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Boil Chicken breasts in seasoned water. When finished, drain and shred cooked chicken. Place in mixing bowl.
Roast Poblano pepper on grill (or oven broiler). When skins are blackened, remove from heat and let cool to the touch. Peel, and de-seed peppers. Dice and place in mixing bowl
Mix together with diced potatoes, seasonings, cheese and dressing. Make sure it’s not too wet, or dry. As too wet will leak out of Empanada, and too dry will crumble when you eat. Refrigerate overnight.

Chorizo, Red Potato Empanadas

1 lb raw Chorizo (bulk, not link)
3 Red Potatoes, cooked and diced
1 ea Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 can Corn, drained
1 med Sweet Onion, diced

Brown Chorizo. When completely cooked, add in corn, red potato, green bell pepper, and onion. Mix thoroughly. Allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.

Now for the Wrappers…..you can always make your own, but why, when these are so incredible.  I prefer the wapper on the right, as it is for a crispy baked.  The one on the left is for flaky (like puff pastry).  Both are for the oven, but there is a third that is for frying.

This is the back, that’s how I tell what is what.  (see the English translation) 

So as for the filling and folding….

Step one, use a scoop to measure out the amount in the center of the wrapper. 

Step two, fold the wrapper in half and press to seal.

Step three, start fold/rolling from the left edge, creating a unique seam.  Keep the seams the same throughout the same filling process.  If this intimidates you, use this hint, fold them the same way, place them on their side or standing straight up.

Step three and a half, When I’m done folding I usually end up with a little tail.  That’s an easy fix, fold the tail under and place the empanada on it.

In this option I use a Tortellini type closure.

 

Here are some examples of the different folds/closures I use.

Picture from the most recent creation!