EPIFANIA’S EMPANADAS
Ingredients
- BEEF FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 6 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced green pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- a pinch or more red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Goya all-purpose adobo seasoning
- 1 packet (1½ teaspoons) Goya Sazón Azafrán
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium white potato, peeled and diced into ¼ inch cubes, boiled until fork-tender
- DOUGH:
- 1 cup pre-cooked yellow corn flour (masarepa)
- ½ cup pre-cooked white corn flour (masarepa)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1½ cups warm water (divided)
Instructions
- BEEF FILLING: Heat all ingredients except the ground beef and potatoes in a pan over low heat. After 5 minutes, add the ground beef to the pan and smash it with the back of a spoon, incorporating the seasoned sauce as it cooks. Once meat is almost cooked (about 7 minutes), add the cooked potato cubes and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir while cooking until the meat is done (about 3 minutes): it should appear wet, but not saucy. Remove from heat and let cool. DOUGH: Whisk together the corn flours, salt and sugar. Add one cup of the warm water and mix with your hands to incorporate. Add the remaining water a little at a time until the dough holds together and is just slightly sticky, reserving enough to wet your hands to prevent sticking as you mix. Form into a ball and knead for about 2 minutes, wetting your hands as needed. Divide the dough into 12 golf-ball size portions and roll each one into a sphere. Press each ball flat between two pieces of waxed paper using a tortilla press. Fill Place a heaping tablespoon of meat in the center of the pressed dough atop a sheet of wax paper. Gently fold the dough in half, lifting the edges of the wax paper and pressing the dough together through the paper to form a seal around the meat. There will be about a half-inch of extra dough around the edge—score the edge with the lip of a cup, peel back the wax paper and remove any extra dough. (You can collect it, reform it into balls and press it to make more shells). Fry Heat 2 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Work in batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Serve with cilantro sauce or pico de gallo. Note: To freeze, wrap each empanada in wax paper and place in a sealed freezer bag. Frozen empanadas take a few extra minutes to fry, but they’ll turn out extra crispy.
