Beef Empanada Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 x 375g packets all-butter puff pastry
- Olive oil, for frying
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp paprika
- 300g minced beef
- 4 tbsp pitted green olives, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- Pinch of sugar
- 2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
- Bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp olive oil
Cooking instructions
MAKES 18 EMPANADAS
- Roll out both blocks of pastry to a thickness of 3mm and cut out eighteen discs, using an 11cm cutter or saucer. Cover the discs with cling film and chill while you prepare the filling.
- Heat a saucepan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Sweat the onion and garlic gently for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the cumin, cinnamon and paprika and stir until aromatic.
- Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Mix in the olives, oregano, chilli flakes, sugar and eggs. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Leave to cool.
- Once the beef has cooled, spoon about 1 tablespoon onto each pastry disc, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Brush beaten egg around half the border, then fold the pastry over and press the edges together to seal and create a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges, removing any air pockets as you go.
- Chill the empanadas for 20 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.
- Place the empanadas on a baking tray. Make a steam hole in the top of each one with a skewer, then brush with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the chimichurri. Place the parsley, garlic and fresh oregano (if using) in a small food processor and roughly chop. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz briefly to combine. Taste and season. (If using dried oregano, add it at this stage.)
- Once the empanadas are cooked, cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold with the chimichurri on the side to spoon over or dip into.