Argentine Meat Empanadas

Our wine club enjoyed a fabulous food and wine pairing dinner this month. We tasted South American wines and paired them with several Argentinean and Brazilian recipes. One of my favorites was the Argentine Meat Empanadas with an Argentina Malbec. Select a wine that has fruit, hints of spice and rich flavors.

Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour


Ingredients:

  • 1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ½ cup pitted green olives, chopped
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
  • Salt to taste

    Instructions:

    In a large sauté pan cook the beef until brown, salt to taste. Remove beef from pan, add vinegar and set aside to cool. In the sauté pan, melt the shortening, add the onions. Cook until onions begin to turn golden. Stir in the paprika, pepper, cumin and salt. Add the meat to the onion mixture, stirring to combine.
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    Unfold the pastry dough and cut into 8 round shells. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture on each round, add a few raisins, olives and eggs. To get a good seal with pastry, avoid reaching the edges of the pastry with the filling. Fold the pastry in half and seal the edges with a fork. Turn the half moon over and seal again on the other side. A good seal is important to keep the juices in. Prick the top of the pastry with a fork or make the little slices with a paring knife.
    Place the empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Glaze the top with an egg wash and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve.

    Terri's Tip:

  • Make these in advance and freeze. To reheat place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until crisp and heated through