Serves 4
60 min
Beef Picadillo Empanadas
Recipe GLPRb4c9c03176da1e
Golden baked pastry pockets filled with a savory-sweet beef picadillo mixture featuring shredded brisket, tomato sauce, pimento olives, raisins, and almonds, finished with pepper Jack cheese. These South American-inspired hand pies are perfect as a main course or appetizer.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced onion
salt
black pepper
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup pimento-stuffed olives
¼ cup raisins
1 cup cooked and shredded beef brisket
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
½ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 package refrigerated pie crusts
1 large egg
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cover the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown and very tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the shredded beef brisket to the skillet and cook, breaking it up into very small pieces, until it begins to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic and ground cumin to the beef mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the tomato sauce and stir well to combine. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Stir in the pimento-stuffed olives, raisins, slivered almonds, and shredded pepper Jack cheese. Let the filling cool to room temperature before assembling the empanadas.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the pie crusts from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one crust to about ⅛ inch thickness. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Refrigerate the cut dough if it becomes too warm. Repeat with the remaining crust and reroll any scraps until you have 14 to 16 rounds total.
Place a heaping tablespoon of the cooled beef filling on each dough round, slightly off-center. Brush the edges lightly with water or beaten egg.
Fold each round in half over the filling to form a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly with the tines of a fork to seal.
Transfer the sealed empanadas to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg to give them a golden finish.
Bake in the preheated 425°F oven until the empanadas are golden brown, about 16 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm with sour cream on the side if desired.
