Baked Beef Empanadas

Before you start

Baked empanadas in Argentina have a firm, slightly flaky dough wrapped around a filling of beef, onion and spices, with chopped hard-boiled egg and green olives often folded in. This version follows that template: ground or hand-chopped beef cooked with plenty of onion, sweet paprika and cumin, chilled until the fat sets, then sealed with the rope-like repulgue crimp.

The filling must be cold. Warm filling softens the dough and makes the empanadas hard to seal, and the juices escape in the oven. Chilled filling holds its fat in place, so it melts into a juicy center as the dough bakes. Keep the dough firm and smooth rather than tender; it needs to stretch over the filling without tearing.

Ingredients

• Dough450 g (3¾ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 100 g (7 tbsp) lard or unsalted butter — soft
• 1 large egg
• 150 to 170 ml (⅔ to ¾ cup) warm water
• Filling2 tbsp olive oil or lard
• 2 medium (about 300 g) onions, finely chopped
• 1 small (about 150 g) red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef (15 to 20% fat) or hand-chopped chuck
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 12 pitted green olives, sliced
• Finish1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt, rub in the soft lard, then add the egg and enough warm water to make a firm, smooth dough. Knead for 4 minutes, wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions and pepper for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the beef, salt and spices and cook, breaking it up, for 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains and the meat reaches 71°C (160°F).
3. Stir in the scallions and taste for seasoning. Spread the filling on a tray, cool briefly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold and the fat has set. Fold in the eggs and olives just before filling.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 12 pieces of about 60 g. Roll each into a 13 cm (5 in) round about 2 mm thick, trimming with a cutter if you want neat edges.
5. Place about 3 tablespoons (65 g) of filling on one half of each round. Brush the edge with water, fold over and press out the air while sealing firmly.
6. Crimp the edge with the repulgue: pinch a corner, fold it over onto the edge, and repeat along the seam to form a rope. A fork pressed along the edge also works.
7. Brush with egg wash and prick each empanada once with a toothpick. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway, until deep golden. Cool for 10 minutes before eating; the filling is very hot.

Tips for success

• Keep the rolled rounds stacked between sheets of plastic wrap so they do not dry out and crack when folded.
• Make the filling the day before. The flavor develops overnight, and well-chilled filling is much easier to seal.
• Serve with chimichurri or a squeeze of lemon to brighten the rich filling.

Substitutions

Lard

Butter gives a slightly richer, more crumbly dough. Vegetable shortening works for a dairy-free version with a neutral flavor.

Ground beef

Hand-chopped chuck gives a juicier, more traditional texture. Ground chicken thighs work; cook them to 74°C (165°F).

Homemade dough

Frozen empanada discs (tapas para empanadas para horno) save time; thaw them in the fridge and use them as is.

Variations

Ham and cheese

Fill each round with 25 g diced ham and 25 g diced mozzarella; bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Corn and cheese (humita-style)

Cook 300 g corn kernels with a chopped onion in butter, thicken with 1 tbsp flour and 120 ml milk, cool, and fill each round with a spoonful plus a cube of mozzarella.

Troubleshooting

Empanadas burst open in the oven

They were overfilled or air was trapped inside. Use about 65 g of filling, press out the air before sealing and prick each one.

The dough tears when folded

It is too dry or rolled too thin. Add a teaspoon of water while kneading, and roll to 2 mm, not thinner.

The filling is dry

The beef was too lean or cooked too long. Use 15 to 20% fat beef and stop cooking as soon as the pink is gone.

Storage

Refrigerate baked empanadas within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months; bake from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 28 to 32 minutes.

Safety notes

Ground beef should reach 71°C (160°F). Do not taste the raw dough. Contains wheat and egg.