How to make beef empanadas
These beef empanadas are a tasty way to cook minced beef.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 225g/8oz extra lean beef mince
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 medium potato, peeled, cut into cubes
- 100ml/3½fl oz dark Mexican beer, brown ale or stout
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry
- 225g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 75g/3oz chilled butter, cut into cubes
- pinch salt
- 50ml/2fl oz milk
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
To serve
- sweet chilli dipping sauce
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrot and fry until softened.
Add the mince and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden-brown all over.
Add the tomato purée, cumin and chilli powder, stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and the beer and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
For the pastry, place the flour, turmeric, chilli flakes, butter and salt into a food processor and pulse to a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Add the milk and egg yolk and pulse together until the mixture just comes together as a dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes, then wrap in cling film and transfer to the fridge to chill for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut out 12 circles of 10cm/4in diameter.
Place a spoonful of the filling into the centre of each pastry circle.
Brush the edge of one half of each of the circles with some of the beaten egg, then fold over the other side and seal - make sure you don't trap any air inside.
Mark around the edges of the sealed pastry with the tines of a fork.
Place the empanadas onto a baking tray and transfer to the oven to cook for 10 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked and the filling is hot.
To serve, place the empanadas onto a large serving plate with sweet chilli dipping sauce in a bowl in the centre.