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Beef Empanadas with Colombian Aji

Course Aperitif dinner, Fingerfood, Starter
Cuisine South America
Keyword Beef
Servings 36 empanadas

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 120 gr butter plus more for brushing tops
  • 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 750 grams all-purpose flour

For the filling

  • 1/2 kg beef chuck in 25 mm dice or very coarsely ground
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil for sautéing
  • 60 gr chorizo diced
  • 250 gr potatoes peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves mashed to a paste
  • 2 tsp thyme chopped
  • 2 tsp marjoram chopped
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp pimentón dulce or paprika
  • cayenne large pinch
  • beef broth as necessary
  • 25 gr scallions white and green parts, chopped
  • 25 gr green olives pitted, chopped
  • 2 eggs hard-cooked, sliced

For the Colombian Aji

  • 20 jalapeno peppers seeded
  • 100 ml water
  • 100 ml white vinegar
  • 100 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 300 gr green onions chopped
  • 200 gr cilantro chopped
  • 4 tsp salt

Instructions

Make the dough:

  1. Put 2 cups boiling water, 4 ounces lard and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl. Stir to melt lard and dissolve salt. Cool to room temperature.
  2. Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead for a minute or two on a floured board, until firm and smooth. Add more flour if sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the filling:

  1. Season chopped beef generously with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Melt 3 tablespoons lard in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and fry until nicely browned, stirring throughout to keep pieces separate, about 5 minutes.
  2. Turn heat down to medium and add onion and chorizo. Keep turning mixture with a spatula, as if cooking hash, until onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme and marjoram and stir well to incorporate. (Add a little more fat to pan if mixture seems dry.) Season again with salt and pepper and let mixture fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón and cayenne, then a cup of broth or water. Turn heat to simmer, stirring well to incorporate any caramelized bits.
  3. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until both meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce just coats them — juicy but not saucy is what you want. Taste and adjust seasoning for full flavor (intensity will diminish upon cooling). Stir in scallions and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Divide chilled dough into 1-ounce pieces and form into 2-inch diameter balls. Roll each piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Lay circles on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
  5. Moisten outer edge of each round with water. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each round, adding a little chopped green olive and some hard-cooked egg to each. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork.
  6. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place empanadas on parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops lightly with lard or butter and bake on top shelf of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Make the Colombian Aji

  1. In a blender, combine jalapenos, water, vinegar, lemon juice, green onions, cilantro and salt. Blend until smooth; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip

  1. Dough and filling may each be prepared a day or two in advance. The empanadas may be assembled several hours ahead of time and refrigerated, uncovered. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Recipe Notes

Recipe and photography of the empanadas by David Tanis and Evan Sung for The New York Times
Featured in: Empanadas, The Pies With A Passport.
Columbian Aji by https://www.allrecipes.com/