Beef Empanadas with Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde

• servings: Makes 18 empanadas

Ingredients

EMPANADA DOUGH

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375g) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

1 stick (4 oz/113g) cold butter

1¼ teaspoons (8g) kosher salt

I teaspoon (4g) granulated sugar

1 cup (220g) cold water

BEEF FILLING

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 pound ground beef (85/15)

2 tablespoons double- concentrated tomato paste

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño, diced

¾ cup water

I teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried parsley

I teaspoon chili powder

I teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

I teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ancho chile powder

EMPANADAS

1½ cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, for filling

Neutral oil, for frying

Salsa Roja (recipe follows), for serving

Salsa Verde (recipe follows), for serving

Directions

Make the empanada dough: In a large bowl, mound the flour and grate the cold butter into it. Using your fingers, toss the butter to coat with the flour. Add the salt, sugar, and cold water and use your hands to bring the mixture from the bottom and toss it over the top, pressing with the base of your hand and repeating this motion for 2 to 3 minutes to combine the mixture well.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using the basic kneading technique (see page 22), knead for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth. Form the dough into a ball, wrap well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least i hour and preferably up to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the thyme, oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley, chili powder, salt, pepper, and ancho chile powder and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the ground beef is done and the water cooked out, about 1o minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Make the empanadas: Place the dough on a work surface. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside. Repeating the kneading technique, knead for an additional minute. Roll the dough into a log and use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut it into 18 portions of 40g each. Round each piece of dough into a smooth ball (see page 22). Place on a plate

and cover with plastic wrap.

Use a rolling pin to roll the first ball into a 5-inch round. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture and 1½/ tablespoons of shredded cheese in the middle. Fold the dough in half, pulling the bottom over the top edge. Use your fingers to pinch in a wave pattern to seal the edge. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat to make

all the empanadas.

Line a plate with paper towels. Pour 2½ inches of oil into a large pot and heat to 350°F over medium heat.

Working in batches of 2 or 3 empanadas, add them to

the hot oil, and cook for i to 2 minutes on one side,

then flip them to the other side. Repeat this process

one or two more times, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes

total, to make sure they are golden brown and flaky

on both sides. Remove from the oil and place on the

paper towels to drain.

Serve hot with salsa roja and salsa verde on the side.

Notes

Notes

* You can prepare the dough and filling I to 2 days in advance and store them separately in the fridge. If you don't plan to eat all the empanadas in one go, cook half and store the rest of the dough and filling separately and fill and cook fresh the next day.

* If you do not want to roll out the dough rounds one by one, you can use a pasta roller. After you remove the dough from the fridge, cut it into 6 equal portions. Roll one portion into a ball and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Then with the first piece of dough, use a rolling pin to roll it into a 5 x 7-inch oval. Lightly flour the dough. Starting at the thickest setting of a pasta roller (I on a KitchenAid), roll the oval through the pasta roller twice, flouring the dough sheet in between if needed. Then roll the dough twice at setting 2. Transfer the dough sheet to a lightly floured work surface and use a 5-inch round cookie cutter to cut the dough. Follow the filling instructions from the recipe and cover with plastic wrap as described. Repeat with the remaining dough. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. You can reroll any excess dough for more empanadas, or you can fry the extra pieces as little chips!

* It probably won't happen, but just in case you have leftover empanadas, let cool to room temperature and then store them in an airtight storage bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.

* I also love to eat these empanadas with pico de gallo (see page 211) and a squeeze of lime juice. I cut them in half and then squeeze the lime juice in the middle.