Beef Empanadas
When I think empanadas, I think summer. Being outside at a park in the city and grabbing some homemade empanadas from a vendor is peak happiness for me (and probably also peak New Yorker-ness, IMO). These are actually much easier to make than you may think. Ground beef is hard to mess up, and once that’s done all that’s left to do is stuff the dough and fry it!
Most people use canola or vegetable oil for frying something like this. If you don’t know me by now, that doesn’t fly around here! Since empanadas (or pastelitos- I use the terms interchangeably- which do you use?), don’t need to be deep fried, I use still use olive oil in this case. However, I use a very light olive oil that can handle the high temperature and imparts very little flavor, if any. Extra light olive oil has been refined, so I don’t like to use it for all cooking purposes, but I like it for frying when a lot of oil is necessary, as an alternative to the ultra-refined and inflammatory vegetable, corn & canola oils that dominate fried foods and much of the Western diet.
If you’re not accustomed to Latin cooking, don’t get freaked out by the olives. They’re there to impart flavor. Some choose to leave them whole, but most people don’t enjoy the surprise of a whole olive in their bite of food. I instructed for them to be chopped so they can do their job without turning off the olive haters.
If you prefer to not make my homemade Dominican Sofrito, that’s okay. My goal is to rely on as few pre-made store-bought products as I can. Not only to reduce chemical additives in my diet, but to create the best flavor possible- and we all know the flavor of store-bought can never compare to when it’s made at home with love. But! We all have our priorities and I’m just sharing mine. With that being said, you may substitute a store-bought product of your choice such as Goya Sofrito. Although theirs is a bit different from the one i make, it will still add complexity with its flavor and aroma. If you live near an ethnic or latin market, they should sell a variety of cooking liquids from different brands that can do the job. I would also recommend Baldom Sazon Ranchero, if you can find it.
These empanadas are great for parties, bbq’s, or just for the family on a nice day. Don’t forget the pink sauce. It’s just not the same without it!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 packs Goya Discos (20 total), thawed
1 onion, small diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 Spanish olives with pimiento, chopped
1-2 tbsp Dominican Sofrito
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 packets Sazón Goya
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup water
2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. EVOO
1-2 cups extra light olive oil, for frying
Pink Sauce, for serving
Method
In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp. EVOO over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, 3-4 min. Add garlic & olives. Cook 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
Raise heat to medium high. Add in ground beef, breaking up with a potato masher or wooden spatula. Season with a bit of salt and pepper (not too much- keep in mind the Sazón added in the next step also contains a good amount of salt).
Once beef is almost completely browned, discard any excess liquid. Add sofrito and tomato sauce and stir to coat the beef. Add Sazón, oregano, coriander, paprika, and 1/2 cup water (use the tomato sauce can for your water to get that extra tomato sauce out of there!). Stir together, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6-8 min, allowing the flavors to marry together and for the liquid to reduce.
Taste and adjust salt & pepper or other spices if necessary. Add in chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
On a clean work surface, start with your first disco. You may want to use a rolling pin to roll out the dough a bit (I like to roll it long ways to create a more oblong shape to make it easier to fold over the meat). Spoon 2 tbsp of your beef mixture into the center of the disco, fold over to create a half moon, sealing the open edges by pressing with a fork the whole way around.
In a large pan over medium high heat, pour extra light olive oil until it is at least 1 inch deep. Test that your oil is hot enough by adding a crumb of dough. If it sizzles, you’re ready! Add your empanadas to the oil and cook 3-4 per side. Keep an eye on them- they burn easily. You may have to adjust the burner as you go if the oil becomes too hot and begins smoking. You may also have to add more oil as you go. Using metal tongs, remove cooked empanadas to a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve empanadas with pink sauce. Enjoy!
