Phoebe ChungEmpanada is a delicious appetizer or party dish that eats a lot in Spanish-influenced countries.
Among them, I made Argentinian empanadas, which my husband likes.
One of my husband’s co-workers is an Argentinian. My husband and I used to attend a party held at his house once a year.
The highlight of the party was the Argentinian barbecue (asado), which takes a very long time.
So finger foods are served in between. ‘Empanadas’ were always there.
As his family moved to Australia earlier this year, ‘asado’ parties are no longer possible, but I’m making empanadas.
We can eat it at an Argentinian restaurant here too, but it’s a high-fat food, so I think it’s a little healthier to bake it in the oven at home.
So I try my best to make it.
My husband eats four or five in one meal with the size I’m making today. Then he says he will only eat this for a diet.
The process of making it may be complicated at first, but once you get used to it, you will make it often.
It tastes good and the leftovers can frozen and bake for next time.
What is Empanada?
Empanada is a bread dough, shortcrust or puff pastry filled with a salty or sweet fillig and baked or fried.
The filling can include red or white meat, fish, vegetables or fruit.
The dough is generally made from wheat flour –although corn flour or other cereals can use also– and usually contains lard, oil or butter.
Empanadas are a traditional dish of most cuisines in Spanish-speaking countries, such as Spain and Latin America, Philippine etc.
History of Empanadas
Its name comes from the Spanish empanar, which means “to enclose something in dough or bread to cook it in the oven.”
Its origin dates back to the custom of filling bread with foods, which shepherds and travelers brought to eat on road trip.
This type of preparation gave rise to dishes such as Italian ‘calzones’, Galician ’empanadas’ and British ‘Cornish pasties’.
In the Middle Ages, one of the most important purposes of making this style of food was to preserve meat.
Because cooking in consistent chunks can protect that meat for days.
Empanada dough
Empanada-type pastries are normally different from those used for making bread, biscuits or confectionery.
It usually contain less water and a large amount of fat producing a dough that dissolves into flakes or sheets.
It’s providing more additional flavor from the fat.
The resulting is intended to completely envelop its content in a wide variety of forms in different cuisines, empanada, samosa, pasty, pierogi, etc.
Argentinian Empanadas
Argentine empanadas are generally in the shape of a semicircle no more than 20 cm in diameter and are closed by a repulgo or simba.
Which often has different shapes that allow the flavor of the filling to identify.
The filling varies from province to province, although the most common are beef, chicken, humita, ham and cheese and vegetables (usually chard or spinach) with cheese or white sauce.
Meat empanadas usually contain onion, potatoes, chopped hard-boiled egg, olives. ( raisins, or peas in some provinces).
There are also sweet versions with quince paste, sweet potato or dulce de leche.
Sauce for empanadas
Tabasco, salsa, ketchup, etc. It goes well with any sauce, even mayonnaise.
I made Argentinian chimichurri sauce(I will post the recipe next time.), also salsa roja.
My husband who likes spicy food says he likes salsa roja better. Maybe I made the chimichurri sauce less spicy. ^^
Recipe notes
Chorizo - If you don’t have chorizo, add 150g beef instead chorizo. If you have dried chorizo, peel it and chop it with a knife.
When the potatoes are cooked, crush them with a spatula to absorb moisture and make it easier to use as a filling.
Pastries – When making rounds or empanadas, be sure to warm them up with a moist kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
If you made too many, freeze them. You can freeze them before baking or after baking.
But you have to bake them again before eating anyway, so I freeze them before baking.
If you have leftover filling, stuff it into pitted bell peppers and bake in the oven.
Delicious dishes are made.
Argentinian Beef and Chorizo Empanadas recipe
Ingredients
for filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 300 g minced beef
- 150 g chorizo
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 150 g potatoes, diced
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika powder or chilli powder
- 200 ml beef stock
- 100 ml tomato puree or fresh tomatoes
- ⅓ cup green onion
for pastry
- 500 g all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 10 tbsp milk
other ingredients
- 4 tbsp green olives
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 egg white
Instructions
Make filling
- Season the ground beef with a little salt and pepper. (I didn't write down this salt and pepper in the ingredients.)
- Peel the chorizo and chop it into small pieces by hand.
- Put the thick pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and chorizo and stir-fry for 2 minutes. There is a lot of fat in the chorizo, so if you stir-fry it first, you don't need to add any more oil.
- Add beef and stir-fry until brown.
- Add the tomato paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes. It's good to stir-fry the tomato paste before pouring the stock to get rid of the sour taste.
- Add all other ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. It's done when the potatoes are cooked. When done, add the green onions, stir, then turn off the heat and cool.
make pastries
- Add salt to the flour and mix, then add the butter and mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Add the egg yolks, add the milk little by little.Gradually stir in flour with hand, until dough comes together.Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.(You can save time by boiling two eggs at this time.)
- After 30 minutes, take out the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. It doesn't stick even you don't sprinkle flour.It should be about 3mm thick.
- Cut into 12-15cm circles and cover with plastic wrap.
olives and boiled eggs
- Chop the pickled green olives and boiled eggs. Set aside.
make empanadas
- Lay circles, put about 2 tsp filling in the center (depending on size of pastry), adding a little chopped green olive and some hard-cooked egg.Moisten outer edge round with egg white or water, wrap dough around filling, pressing edges together.
- Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork.
baking empanadas
- Place empanadas on parchment-lined baking pan, brush tops lightly with butter
- Bake in an oven preheated to 19 degrees C for 20 minutes.
Video
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