Beef/Pork Empanadas (Adopted 2006)

These are great empanadas. You can add cooked, diced white or sweet potato. Make them any size you want. They make wonderful appetizers served warm.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 35

Ingredients

• EMPANADA DOUGH

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup  lard
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup  ice water

• EMPANADA FILLING

• 1  lb ground beef or 1  lb ground pork
• 1  onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄3 cup  almonds, toasted, chopped
• 1⁄3 cup  black raisins
• 8  plum tomatoes
• 24  serrano peppers
• 2  limes, juice of
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1  teaspoon black pepper
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄8 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
•  egg wash

Directions

1. FOR DOUGH:
2. Put flour and salt in Cuisinart, pulse to combine.
3. Add cold lard and butter, pulse to form crumbs.
4. Add water and pulse until it just comes together.
5. Chill at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll out and cut out circles.
7. FILLING:
8. Saute meat, drain fat.
9. Saute onions for 2 minutes, add garlic, almonds and raisins and saute for 2 minutes more.
10. Place tomato, chiles, lime juice, salt and pepper in blender.
11. Puree until smooth.
12. Add puree, cumin, cloves, cinnamon meat and onion to skillet.
13. Cook 5 minutes or until excess liquid evaporates.
14. Cool. Fill pastry circles, fold and crimp with fork.
15. Refrigerate or freeze.
16. Bake frozen for 20 minutes at 400ºF.