Creole Empanadas (Argentina)

Ingredients

DOUGH

• 2 lbs flour
• 11 ounces high-quality beef fat
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• salt

FILLING

• 1 lb chuck
• 5 ounces beef fat
• 1 lb green onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 2 carrots
• 2 hardboiled egg
• 1/4 lb seedless black raisins
• 1/4 lb green olive, pitted
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. 1

   PREPARATION:.

2. 2

   Place the flour on the table forming a well; pour the lukewarm, melted beef fat in the middle, add the paprika, the salt, and gradually add the water as you mix the ingredients with your hands until you get a smooth ball.

3. 3

   Knead for 10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to your hands, and let it rest in a warm place, covered with a cheesecloth, for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1/5-inch thickness and cut 4-inch discs with cutter. Sprinkle the disks with a little flour so that they do not stick to each other and set aside.

5. 5

   FILLING:.

6. 6

   Finely chop the green onion and fry it in the beef fat 5 minutes over medium heat.

7. 7

   Add the carrots, peeled and thinly sliced, the paprika, the tomatoes and the red pepper, both seeded and chopped. Continue cooking for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the chuck, finely diced, the salt, the pepper and the cumin, and continue cooking for 5 minutes until meat is browned.

9. 9

   Remove from heat, add the pitted olives, the hardboiled eggs, chopped, and the raisins. Allow to chill in fridge.

10. 10

    MAKING THE EMPANADAS:.

11. 11

    Place two tablespoons of filling in the centre of each disk, moisten the edges with water at room temperature, fold one half of the disk over the other and press the edges together.

12. 12

    Fold the edge over itself by twisting it at regular intervals to form a cord [like you do with calzones sometimes] and make sure the filling does not come out.

13. 13

    Place the empanadas on a greased cookie sheet, brush them with a beaten egg, and bake in hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden.