Beef Picadillo Empanadas
- Yield 30 pieces
- Prep 30 mins
- Cook 30 mins
These little meat pies could be the hit of the party.
California Raisin Marketing Board
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
- 3 3/4 cups 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
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- teaspoon pepper
- Dough:
- 3 cups masa harina for tortillas
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lard
- 2 to 3 cups warm water
Instructions
- 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.
Recipe by the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.
