Empanadas Salteñas Recipe 425

Steps:

• • Heat oil; add onions and cook until transparent. Add cumin and paprika; fry 1 minute. • Incorporate meat; cook for 5 minutes. • Add potatoes and stock; cook until tender, then add raisins. Add salt and crushed red chili; mix well. Remove from heat; cool. • Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in center of dough. Add 1 olive and ¼ hard-boiled egg. Wet half of dough circle and fold over, pressing to release any air. • Fold edges to seal. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350F for 12 minutes until golden. Tips When Preparing the Stuffing: • Be sure to use a very sharp knife to hand cut the beef. Remove all sinew, excess fat, and fibers before cutting. • Cut the beef and potato cubes the same size so that they cook uniformly. • Using beef stock rather than water gives the filling a richer flavor. Use canned stock or bouillon. • For best results, chill the mixture overnight and stuff and bake the empanadas the next day. Tips to Fill & Bake • Empanadas should be chock- full of filling, but don't over- stuff. Use enough to be able to easily close the seams. • Wet only half of the dough circle. The water will form a tight seal for the pastry. Hold the pastry in your hand then gently press the air out. • When folding the empanada, imagine you are twisting a rope to make the decorative edge. • When eating empanadas straight from the oven, let sit 5-10 minutes to cool down. Be careful not to burn your mouth with steam that escapes from the pockets. Homemade Dough: You can easily make dough for 2½ dozen empanadas instead of buying shells. Combine 1-pound all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons lard (or shortening), and 1 to 1½ cups lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon diluted salt. In a bowl, add the melted fat to the flour and stir. Add 1 cup water and bring together to form a dough ball; knead until soft. Pull dough off into walnut-size balls. Roll out into circles, sprinkling with flour.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/2 cup cold water in a heat-proof dish; set aside for 10 minutes. Microwave the rehydrated gelatin for 30 seconds or until melted (or melt it over a pot of simmering water). Transfer the melted gelatin to a small bowl and refrigerate until set.
• Place the potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked but still firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from water, allow to cool, and shred into a bowl; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir in the shredded potatoes, peas, spring onion, parsley, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper, and 3 tablespoons jalapeno sauce (optional). Simmer filling until hot, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in the butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the butter and flour mixture until it looks like cornmeal. Turn mixture into a bowl and proceed.) Slowly add the hot water and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into balls. Keep the other balls of dough covered with a towel while you roll out each round.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Whisk the beaten eggs and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl. Lightly brush egg wash on the edges of the dough circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat filling on one half of the dough round; top it with about a 1/2 teaspoon of hard-boiled egg, 1/4 teaspoon of gelatin, a few sliced black olives, and some raisins.
• Fold the dough over the filling. Seal and scallop the edges of the dough together. To scallop, start at one edge of the half circle: fold a small piece of dough (the size of your fingernail) over the seam and press gently. Fold another small piece of dough over the seam so that it overlaps the first piece; repeat until you have sealed the half circle. (You may also seal the saltenas by pressing a fork around edges.)
• Place the saltena on the prepared baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough and filling. Whisk the paprika into the remaining egg wash and brush the saltenas with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.