Empanadas de Carne / Meat Empanadas

Crust Ingredients-

Self Rising Flour -------------------------------------------- 400g
Unsalted Butter -------------------------------------------- 150g
Warm Water ------------------------------------------------ 1 Cup
Coarse Salt -------------------------------------------------- 1 Teaspoon

Instructions-

• Rub the butter with the flour until it becomes grainy.
  
  
• Do a salmuera by adding the salt to the water, stir and let cool a bit.
• Add the salmuera to the grainy mixture.
  
  
• Mix the flour until a dough, that comes off the walls of the bowl, forms.
  
  
• Cover in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
  
  

Filling Ingredients-

Lean Ground Beef --------------------------------- 500g
Onion ----------------------------------------------- 1 Medium Sized
Green Onion --------------------------------------- 1 stick
Garlic ----------------------------------------------- 2 Cloves
Peppers -------------------------------------------- 2
Eggs -------------------------------------------------4
Raisins --------------------------------------------- 50g
Green Olives --------------------------------------- 50g
Salt & Pepepr -------------------------------------- To Taste
Cumin ---------------------------------------------- 1 Tablespoon
Paprika --------------------------------------------- 1 Tablespoon
Oregano -------------------------------------------- 1 Tablespoon

Instructions-

• Boil and peel 3 eggs.
  
  
• Hydrate the raisins in warm water until it's time to use them.  This will bring them back to life and provide more taste.
  
  
• Put the peppers in foil and cover with a bit of olive oil.
  
  
• Wrap them with the foil and cook for 25 minutes at 180C/Gas4.
  
  
• Chop the onion.
  
  
• Chop the green onion.
  
  
• Chop the garlic.
  
  
• Take the peppers off the oven and chop them.
  
  
• In a pan with olive oil, saute the onions.
  
  
• Add the meat and mix.
  
  
• Once the onions have sweat, add the garlic.
  
  
• Season the meat with the cumin, salt & pepper, oregano and paprika.
  
  
• Add the chopped peppers.
  
  
• Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the meat is no longer red.  Please note: This process is not long.
  
  
• Once the meat is cooked and you can see its juices, turn off the heat.
• Chop the egg and olives.
• Drain the raisins.
• Now it's time to add the eggs, olives and drained raisins.
  
  
• Mix well so that the raisins can soak in the juices.
  
  
• Let cool a bit.  
• Please do not eat the filling!  You'll need it later.
• Take the chilled dough and cut in 4.
  
  
• Roll out the first quarter until it's 1mm thick.  Remember this is raising flour, it will double in size while baking.
  
  
• Cut disc shapes and put aside.  For this process you can use a bowl, a small round plate or a pot lid (as I did) for shaping the discs.
  
  
• The discs can not be bigger than your hand.
• Add one tablespoon of filling to the centre of one disc.
  
  
• Rub the edges of the dough with warm water to seal the edges together.
• Press down on the edges.
  
  
• Now the pliegue.
• Pinch the edge of the empanada by placing your index finger underneath the dough and your thumb on top of the dough. 
  
  
• Without letting go, bring the dough from underneath with your index finger forwards and seal.  Work from top to bottom.
  
  
• This is what it looks like.  
  
  
• Prepare a glaze by adding a bit of milk to 1 egg.
  
  
• Beat well.
  
  
• Glaze the empanadas.
  
  
• The glaze will give the empanadas a nice shiny colour and it will help you know when they are ready.
  
  
• Pinch the empanadas with a fork to let the steam out while baking. 
  
  
• Take to a preheated oven at 180C/Gas4 for 20-25 minutes or until golden (thanks to the glaze).
  
  
• Let cool a bit and enjoy!