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ATK Beef Empanada's
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| Beef Empanadas WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In Latin America, crisp pastry pockets stuffed with spiced beef make a savory, transportable lunch. We wanted to streamline the cooking process, but still create an empanada hearty enough to take center stage at dinner, with a moist, savory filling encased in a tender crust. To streamline the filling, we first enhanced packaged ground chuck with a milk-and-bread mixture known as a panade. As the meat and panade cook, the starches in the panade’s bread absorb moisture from the milk and form a gel around the protein molecules, which lubricates the meat. But to intensify the meaty flavor, we replaced the milk with an equal amount of chicken broth. To round it out we added a hefty dose of aromatics. Finally, we threw in a handful of cilantro leaves and a splash of vinegar along with chopped hard-cooked eggs, raisins, and green olives. For our crust, we made a few Latin-inspired changes to our Foolproof Double-Crust Pie Dough, a recipe that combines butter (for flavor) and shortening (for tenderness) with water and vodka for a dough that’s both workable and tender (tequila can also be substituted for the vodka). We traded some of the flour for masa harina, the ground, dehydrated cornmeal used to make Mexican tortillas and tamales. This provided nutty richness and rough-hewn texture. Finally, a quick brush of oil on the top of the empanadas gave us a shiny, crunchy crust, and preheating the baking sheet and drizzling it with oil ensured the underside of the crust got as crispy as the top. (less) WATCH THIS RECIPE In Latin America, crisp pastry pockets stuffed with briny spiced beef make a savory, transportable lunch. We wanted to streamline the recipe in time to serve it for dinner. Watch the Video Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée The alcohol in the dough is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute for it or omit. Masa harina can be found in the international aisle with other Latin foods or in the baking aisle with the flour. If you cannot find masa harina, replace it with additional all-purpose flour (for a total of 4 cups). After step 5, the empanadas can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days. INGREDIENTS Filling | |
| 1large slice | hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters |
| 2tablespoons plus 1/2 cup | low-sodium chicken broth |
| 1pound | 85 percent lean ground chuck |
| Table salt | |
| ground black pepper | |
| 1tablespoon | olive oil |
| 2medium | onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups) |
| 4medium | garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons) |
| 1teaspoon | ground cumin |
| 1/4teaspoon | Cayenne |
| 1/8teaspoon | ground cloves |
| 1/2cup | packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped |
| 2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped | |
| 1/3cup | raisins, coarsely chopped |
| 1/4cup | pitted green olives, coarsely chopped |
| 4teaspoons | cider vinegar |
| Dough | |
| 3cups (15 ounces) | unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface |
| 1cup (5 ounces) | masa harina, (see note) |
| 1tablespoon | sugar |
| 2teaspoons | table salt |
| 12tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) | unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled |
| 1/2cup | cold vodka or tequila, (see note) |
| 1/2cup | cold water |
| 5tablespoons | olive oil,, (for baking empanadas) |
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE FILLING: Process bread and 2 tablespoons chicken broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well combined, six to eight 1-second pulses.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cloves; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. FOR THE DOUGH: Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.
4. Sprinkle vodka or tequila and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
5. TO ASSEMBLE: Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions, place 1 baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on lightly floured work surface into 6-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough. Place about 1/3 cup filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges of empanadas using fork.
6. TO BAKE: Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each hot baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack 10 minutes and serve.
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