Argentine Meat Empanadas

Submitted by Barbara Barrow

This was a recipe brought to our Legacy Night a few years back.

1/2 Cup shortening
2 onions, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika
3/4 tsp. hot paprika
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 TB distilled white vinegar
1/4 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup pitted green olives, chopped
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
salt to taste
1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets(thawed)
1 egg for egg wash

1. In a saute pan, melt shortening and add chopped onions. Cook onions until just before they begin to turn golden. Remove from heat and stir in paprikas, pepper flakes and salt.
2. Spread meat on a sieve and pour boiling water on it for partial cooking. Allow meat to cool. Place meat in a dish and add salt to taste, cumin, and vinegar.
3. Mix and add meat to onion mixture. Mix well and place on a flat dish to cool and harden.
4. Cut puff pastry dough into 10 round shells. Place a spoonful of meat mixture on each round. Add some raisins, egg and olives. Avoid reaching edges of pastry with filling.
5. Slightly wet the edge of the pastry, fold in half and stick edges together. The shape should resemble a half-moon. You should have a 2/3 to 1/2 inch flat edge to work with. Seal by twisting edge, step by step, between thumb and index finger, making sure to add pressure before releasing the pinch and moving on to the next curl. Other sealing procedures like pinching without curling or using a fork to seal will not prevent juice leaks during baking; and empanadas must be juicy.
6. Preheat oven to 350. Place empanadas on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Be sure to prick each empanada with a fork near the curl to allow steam to escape during baking. Blaze with egg for shine and bake until golden brown; about 20-23 minutes.