Recipe: Small Meat Turnovers

SMALL MEAT TURNOVERS

FOR THE DOUGH:
4 cups of all purpose flour
Salt to taste
4 tbsp butter, to give consistency to the dough
1 egg beaten
1 1/4 cup milk
FOR THE FILLING:
1 1/2 lb ground beef or meat
2 oz cured ham chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 chopped tomato
1 pimiento, chopped
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
12 stuffed green olives, chopped
1 tbsp cocktail capers
1/4 cup black or golden raisins, plumped in boiling water or rum
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Oil for frying

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Mix all the dough ingredients in the processor or by hand, until it separates from the bowl. Refrigerate until the moment to be used.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Cook in a big heavy skillet the ground beef, chopped ham, onion, tomato, and pimiento; saute briefly.

Add salt, and cook until the meat is cooked (not red anymore).

Add the olives, capers, raisins, and the eggs, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Mixture should not be soupy, should be as dry as possible.

TO MAKE THE TURNOVERS:
Take the dough out from the refrigerator; divide it in small balls. With the rolling pin, extend each ball of dough to form a circle. To cut a perfect circle, use a small dish to mark the circumference.

In each circumference, add, on top of it, 1 tbsp of the filling. Wet the outside border of the dough, fold in half to form a half moon. Use the tip of the fork with a light pressure to seal the turnover where the edges meet.

Fry it in a skillet with vegetable oil at medium high heat, until it is golden.

This is usually served as delicious appetizer. If the turnovers are big, they can be served as a light lunch.