The Hirshon Argentine Empanadas

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Empanada Recipe Used Under Creative Commons License From Wikipedia

Empanadas – ah, the succulence of these meat-filled pastries from Argentina cannot be matched (especially in my recipe!). 😀

I make my Argentine empanadas in the style of Córdoba province – baked, not fried and with a filling of meat, onion, olives and raisins amongst other items of delicious character such as eggs, potatoes and peppers.

Citizens, there isn’t much to add beyond that – try this recipe and set your tastebuds to DEFCON 2! Serve with salsa and a nice salad for a wonderful meal anytime!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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Dough (Makes about 12)

¾ cup vegetable oil (about)
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp salt
Pinch paprika

Filling

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
½ small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
½ chicken bouillon cube
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
¾ lb boneless beef shoulder, finely diced
Salt
1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled
1/3 cup raisins
8 green Spanish olives, pitted and chopped
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and chopped

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Mix together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Put paprika in well, then add a small amount of the oil and stir with your fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid while using your hand to work the flour into the liquid.

Continue to work dry ingredients into wet ingredients with your hands to form a wet, oily dough. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until dough is chilled, about 2 hours.

For the filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, bouillon cube, paprika, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and cumin, and cook until onions are soft, about 7 minutes.

Add beef; season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer filling to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Once filling has cooled, add potatoes, raisins, olives, scallions, and egg. Adjust seasonings. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Preheat over to 400 degree F. Tear off pieces of dough and with your hands roll into about 12 golf ball-size balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough balls on a lightly floured surface into 5-inch circles.

To assemble empanadas, place about 3 tbsp of filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold over and press the edges firmly to seal, starting from the middle and working out to the edges. Curve the ends of the empanada to form a crescent.

To make the rope edges, pinch ½ inch of one corner edge between your thumb and index finger and fold edge over into itself. Pinch and pull another ½ inch of the edge and fold again, making a rough triangle over the first fold. Repeat this folding around edge, pressing each fold tight. Place empanadas on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.