Beef Empanadas

If I could only have one food for the rest of my life, it could quite possibly be empanadas. Versatile and filling, can be a meal or appetizer, and these are absolutely delicious.

Empanadas are light and flaky with endless filling possibilities, but this beef-and-potato version remains a timeless classic. Try this recipe out, and then feel free to experiment with some of your favorites. The coleslaw and spicy mayonnaise are my choice of accompaniment, but again I’ll leave it up to you to add your own style, whether it be an arugula salad or a salsa dipping sauce (or surprise me). To make things easier, we will use store bought puff pastry sheets in this recipe. That way you will have a uniform thickness of dough and quality for each empanada. Be sure to save the coleslaw recipe for your next BBQ. The filling is enough for 2 batches of 10 empanadas. You can freeze the other half for another time, or I prefer to make 10 empanadas and save the remaining filling to make a Shepard’s Pie.

Ingredients :

(for filling)

350g ground beef ( I used 85% lean beef fat for best flavor and texture)

1.5 tbsp tomato paste

2 garlic cloves finely minced (can use paste as well)

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup of peas

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper finely diced

2 small potatoes, peeled, finely diced

3 tbsp grapeseed oil (can use avocado or olive oil as well) , divided

3 small red chilis , sliced *** optional

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp sweet paprika (can use smoked as well)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes *** optional

(for assembly)

10 , 5” circles of puff pastry ( I buy 2 sheets and use a 5” cookie cutter)

1 egg

(for cole slaw)

75g thinly sliced red pepper (about 1/2 a pepper)

150g shredded white cabbage

75g julienned carrots (about 1 medium carrot)

50g shredded purple cabbage

2 tbsp creme fraiche

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

(for dipping sauce)

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp sriracha

Directions :

(for cole slaw)

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together well. Serves about 6

(for topping sauce)

In a separate small bowl, mix all ingredients together well.

(for filling)

Start a small pot of water to boil. Once boiling add potatoes for 6 minutes, then drain and set aside. Next, warm up a large pan on low to medium heat. Once up to temperature, add 2 tbsp of oil and then then ground beef. Make sure to stir often thus enable all the beef to brown (about 5 minutes), then remove the beef from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside in a separate bowl. It is good to leave any drippings from the beef in the pan. Return the pan to low/medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Now add your onions and gently cook for 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly (to avoid any burning) until translucent. Now mix in the bell peppers, peas, potatoes and seasoning. Add the broth and tomato paste, stir well. Make sure to scrape the pan to incorporate any fond. Continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated. Remove from heat and mix back in the beef. Allow in to cool for 10 minutes before using as filling.

(for assembly)

Preheat the oven to 400* . In a small bowl whisk the egg. Take a baking tray and line with parchment paper. Place the puff pastry circles on the tray. Take 1 tbsp of filling and place in the center of each of your puff pastry 5” circles. Do not over stuff the pastry as it will cause the empanada to burst during baking as the dough expands a little. Using a brush, brush half of the outer edge of the puff pastry (this acts as a “glue”), and fold the dry half onto the moistened edge. Press down along the edges to create a good seal. Take a knife and poke a tiny hole in the center of the empanada to allow steam to exit during baking. Take the brush and gently brush the egg over the empanadas to give it a nice golden brown color after baking. Place the tray in the oven for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove baking tray from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

For those wondering about Shepard’s pie, just take a small glass baking pan, place about 1 inch thick even base of this filling mixture and top with another 1 inch thick layer of mashed potatoes. Make sure to use a pan big enough so it doesn’t spill over (it will expand a little during cooking). Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 425*. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.