Recipe(tried): Small Meat Turnovers (Empanadillitas de Carne)

SMALL MEAT TURNOVERS

For the dough:
4 cups of all purpose flour
Salt to taste
4 tb 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 chopped tomato
1 pimiento, chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt to taste
2 tb olive oil
12 stuffed green olives, chopped
1 tb cocktail capers
1/4 cup black or golden raisins, plumped in boiling water or rum
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Oil for frying

Mix all the dough ingredients in the processor or by hand, until it separates from the bowl. Refrigerate until the moment to be used. Cook in a big heavy skillet the ground beef, chopped ham, tomato, pimiento and onion, and saut 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.

Take the dough out from the refrigerator; divide it in small balls. With the rolling pin, extend the 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 tb of the filling. Wet the outside border of the dough; double it, to form a half moon. Use the tip of the fork with a light pressure to seal the turnover. 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.