Spicy Beef Empanadas

I experimented with some empanada recipes I found and added some of my favorite ingredients to come up with these delicious spicy beef empanadas, which was an instant hit at the dinnerparty with my girlfriends. Now I have to make them at every gettogether.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 36 empanadas

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  cooking oil
• 2  lbs ground beef
• 5  shallots, finely chopped
• 5  garlic cloves
• 2 -3  red chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1  red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 1⁄2 ounces  concentrated tomato paste
• 5  tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 tablespoon habanero sauce
• 1⁄2 lemon, squeezed
• 3  large  hardboiled egg, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup  jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1  cup cilantro, chopped
•  salt and pepper
• 8  sheets puff pastry
• 2  eggs, beaten (for glaze)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven at 375°F Pour some cooking oil in a skillet and press cloves over the pan.nAdd chopped shallots and fry on low heat, until soft but not browned. Add a bit of salt and the chopped red chili pepper.
2. Add ground beef and let brown on med-high heat. Drain the mixture put back in skillet. Add bell pepper and cook on high for about a minute.
3. Turn heat to med-low and add cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, flour, and tomato sauce. Turn off the stove and let cool to room temperature.
4. Now mix some worcestershire sauce (to taste, I love it and put it in practically everything, but can be omitted), vinegar, lemon juice, habanero pepper sauce (or tabasco). To add a hint of sweetness, I add tomato ketchup, about 5 tbs.Stir in chopped egg, jalapenos and cilantro. Add pepper and salt to taste.
5. Let pastry thaw and cut 5" circles.
6. Put pastry on baking sheet. Put about a spoonful of the meat mixture on one half of the circle. Put some beaten egg on the edges and fold. press edges with a fork. Put some more egg mixture over the empanadas for glaze. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins until golden brown.