Mini Panamanian Beef Empanadas
Recipe from
Food & Wine
At Panamonte Inn & Spa, chef Charlie Collins teaches students how to make perfectly flaky empanada dough. For fillings, he uses local ingredients like beef jerk (dried, preseasoned meat) and culantro (a long-leafed herb with a pungent flavor); ground beef and cilantro are fine substitutes. Chef Tip: For a flakier empanada, use leaf lard instead of butter.

Servings:
makes about 24 empanadas
Prep Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients
DOUGH
-
2 cupsall-purpose floursee savings

-
1 tablespoonsugarsee savings

-
1 teaspoonsaltsee savings

-
1 stickunsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilledsee savings

-
2large eggs, lightly beatensee savings

-
1/4 cupdry white winesee savings

-
1 teaspoonwhite vinegarsee savings

FILLING
-
1 tablespoonvegetable oilsee savings

-
1/2 teaspoonachiote seeds (also called annatto seeds)see savings

-
1/4 poundground beefsee savings

-
1garlic clove, mincedsee savings

-
1small onion, finely dicedsee savings

-
1/4 cupfinely diced red bell peppersee savings

-
1/4 cupchopped, seeded tomatosee savings

-
1/2 tablespoontomato pastesee savings

-
1/4 cupchicken stock or low-sodium brothsee savings

-
2 tablespoonschopped cilantrosee savings

-
Salt and freshly ground peppersee savings

-
Vegetable oil for fryingsee savings

Directions
MAKE THE DOUGH
1. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat the eggs with the wine and vinegar and drizzle over the flour mixture. Pulse until the dough just comes together. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
PREPARE THE FILLING
2. In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the achiote seeds and cook over moderately high heat until the seeds darken and the oil is orange, about 1 minute. Discard the seeds. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook over moderate heat until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, tomato paste and chicken stock and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
3. On a generously floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. With a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out as many rounds as possible (you should have about 24). Reroll the dough scraps and stamp out additional rounds if possible. Brush the excess flour off the rounds. Working with 1 round at a time and keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap, form the empanadas: Spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling on one side of the dough round. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Cover with plastic wrap while you form the remaining empanadas.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350 degrees. Fry 4 empanadas at a time, turning once, until browned and crisp, 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a baking sheet. When all of the empanadas have been fried, reheat them in the oven and serve.
MAKE AHEAD
The filled, uncooked empanadas can be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to an airtight bag. Bake them in a 350 degrees oven without thawing.
NOTES
Alternatively, you can bake the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Evenly space the uncooked empanadas on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and brush with the egg wash. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Add Your Review
Related Recipe
Articles
10 Magnifico Italian Beef Recipes
...It's hard to resist the siren song of beef--its deep, earthy flavor is uniquely satisfying, and its.... But Italian flavors pair particularly well with beef, as evidenced by the wide variety of recipes we... casual get-together? Throw some beef and Italian dressing mix into the slow cooker and you'll have divine... read more...
...It's hard to resist the siren song of beef--its deep, earthy flavor is uniquely satisfying, and its.... But Italian flavors pair particularly well with beef, as evidenced by the wide variety of recipes we... casual get-together? Throw some beef and Italian dressing mix into the slow cooker and you'll have divine... read more...
Beef: Know Your Label Lingo
... on beef in U.S. stores, what they mean (and what they don't mean). Prime, Choice, Select, Standard..., Commercial, etc.: These different grades of beef primarily indicate the amount, regularity, and quality... of marbling (i.e., fat) interlaced within the beef. Note that unless it's labeled "Choice" or "Select," store... read more...
... on beef in U.S. stores, what they mean (and what they don't mean). Prime, Choice, Select, Standard..., Commercial, etc.: These different grades of beef primarily indicate the amount, regularity, and quality... of marbling (i.e., fat) interlaced within the beef. Note that unless it's labeled "Choice" or "Select," store... read more...
St. Patty's Day Corned Beef: 4 Winning Recipes
...'s Day is corned beef. Specifically, a plate piled high with tender chunks of corned beef, wedges... holiday. So everyone loves it, but do you know exactly what corned beef is? In broad terms, it's a cut... of beef cured with salt and spices. If the corned beef is going to be used in a sandwich, it's usually... read more...
...'s Day is corned beef. Specifically, a plate piled high with tender chunks of corned beef, wedges... holiday. So everyone loves it, but do you know exactly what corned beef is? In broad terms, it's a cut... of beef cured with salt and spices. If the corned beef is going to be used in a sandwich, it's usually... read more...

