Recipe: Argentine Empanadas

Argentine Empanadas

4 cups unbleached flour
4 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 tbsp salt
2 onions
1 green bell pepper
1/2 kg tenderloin
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, minced
1 hard-boiled egg, minced
paprika
salt
crushed red pepper
Chimichurry sauce*

Finely dice the beef. In a medium-size frying pan, melt 2 tbsp vegetable shortening. Dice the onion, bell pepper and add to the pan. Saute over medium heat until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the diced meat. Season to taste with salt, red pepper, and paprika. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the beef turns brown on all sides. Remove the frying pan from the heat. Mix in the egg, the raisins, the olives, and the green onions. Allow to cool until it drops to room temperature.

While the beef filling cools, pour the flour on a smooth surface, forming a mound. Using the back of a spoon, make a depression in the center. Put 3 tbsp shortening in the depression. Mix and knead the ingredients until fully incorporated. Fill a cup with warm water and dissolve the salt in warm water. Gradually incorporate this liquid into the dough, kneading 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Pull off balls of dough about the size of a golf ball. On the floured surface, roll out each ball of dough into a 10-cm-diameter circle. Flour your hands. Hold the dough circle in one hand and place1 tbsp of the filling in the center. Press and crimp the edges together to secure the filling within.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Arrange the empanadas on the sheet and until the pastry is golden brown, approx. 10 minutes.