These little stuffed pastries probably arrived in Argentina from Galicia, in northwestern Spain. And the Spanish probably got the idea from the Moors who occupied Spain for 800 years. Empanadas can be filled with a variety of flavors to make a delicious snack or a hearty, portable meal. Criolla is an historic term that refers to a woman of Spanish blood, but born in the Argentine "colony."
Ingredients
Pastry:
2 pounds of all-purpose wheat flour
3 ounces of melted unsalted butter (warm but not hot)
1.5 ounces of salt
7 ounces of warm water (or beer, or half water/half beer)
Filling:
1 ½ pounds of ground beef
3 pounds of very thinly sliced onions
¼ pound of unsalted butter
3 teaspoons of ground sweet red pepper
2 teaspoons of cumin
4 hard boiled eggs, minced
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 clove of minced garlic
3 ½ ounces of pitted green olives
1 pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/3 cup of raisins (optional)
Directions
Pastry:
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, then the warm water (or beer), and mix all the ingredients. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until all the ingredients are well-integrated and the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and leave at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Roll the dough to a thickness of only 1/10 of an inch, then cut into six-inch circles.
Filling:
In a pan over medium heat, put the butter, onions, and garlic. When the onions are translucent, add a little salt. Add the meat and cook thoroughly for 20 minutes, then add the spices of cumin, chili powder, sweet red pepper and a pinch of sugar. Remove from the heat and add the minced boiled eggs and the green olives. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Let the mixture cool, then put two tablespoons of the filling into the center of the circles of dough. Fold the dough over to make the pies. Brush lightly with olive oil.
Cook the completed pies in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.
