Colombian Empanadas Recipes

COLOMBIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Boil the water, add salt, oil and paprika
• Add the corn meal and stir until well incorporated. About 3-5 minutes
• Let the dough cool down and knead it untill the dough is uniform.
• Season meat with salt and pepper. I like to add paprika and onion salt too.
• Grill it or pan sear it until it reaches a medium well temperature.
• peel and cut the potatoes in cubes and boil them with salt until tender.
• In a food processor, add the meat cut in strips, cilantro and red pepper if using. Grind them until the meat resembles ground beef.
• Mash the potatoes and mix with the ground beef. Let the filling cool down.
• Divide the dough in golf sized balls. Flatten them with a tortilla press or a round plate. Use a clean plastic bag or parchment paper to prevent the dough to sticking to your working surface
• If using an empanada mold, fill the dough with the meat and potatoes in the center and press to create a half moon shape.
• If you don't have an empanada mold, put the filling in one side of your dough and fold it in half. Press with a round bowl or cap to seal the filling in place.
• Heat up 3 cups of vegetable oil in a frying pan until they reach about 165 Farenheit
• Add the empanadas and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown
• Remove from the heat and place on a paper towel

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup vegetable oil; mix with an electric mixer until well combined and a dough begins to form, about 3 minutes. Remove dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded chicken and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, cilantro, olives, garlic, sazon seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Divide empanada dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a 4-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle, fold in half, and press down on the edges with a fork to seal.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add empanadas, working in batches, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

COLOMBIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables:.Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add 3 minced cloves of garlic, chopped tomato, chopped green onions, chopped onion, chopped red bell pepper, chopped cilantro leaves, ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 package Sazón Goya con azafran. Sautee over medium heat, stirring until onion is very soft (about 12-15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. When done remove all contents from pot and set aside in a separate bowl.
• Prepare steak and potatoes:.In the large stock pot (or can use a slow cooker) add 1 whole head of garlic (smashed), 1 whole onion peeled and cut in half, 1 whole tomato cut in half,(sounds weird but is necessary for the broth) 3 beef bouillon cubes, flank steak and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer the steak until very tender (about an hour). Peel and quarter potatoes and add to the pot, adding more water if necessary to cover the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are very tender (about 25 minutes). Remove pot from heat and let the meat and potatoes cool in the broth.
• Remove the meat from the broth and slice into 1" cubes, then put cut up steak into a food processor and pulse it until it looks like ground beef *DO NOT OVER PROCESS, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MAKE BABY FOOD OUT OF THE STEAK*.
• Remove potatoes from the broth and set aside in a separate bowl, strain the broth and reserve it.
• Add the potatoes, the meat and vegetables into the same bowl. Add a little of the beef broth to the mixture and mix well, mashing the potatoes in the process.
• Prepare the dough:.Place 3 cups yellow masarepa (pre-cooked cornmeal) into a large bowl, add 2 teaspoons of sugar and salt and pepper to taste, incorporate the dry ingredients well before adding the liquid.
• Combine 1 cup of reserved broth, 2 ¼ cups of hot water and 1 tablespoon of softened butter.
• Slowly add the cornmeal to the water and stir with a big spoon. When all of the corn meal has been added, work the dough with your hands until it becomes soft. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Making the empanadas:.To make the empanadas, put a small ball of dough (about the size of a golf ball) in the center of a tortilla press covered with plastic and press to flatten it. You can also put the small ball of dough between two pieces of plastic and flatten it with a small saucepan.
• Add a tablespoon or so of the filling. Fold the circle of dough in half to form a half moon.
• Cut off the edge of the half moon with a cup or drinking glass. This will shape your empanada and seal it at the same time. Another way to make them is pressing the edge with your fingers and folding the extra dough inwards, this will prevent the filling from coming out during frying.
• you can fry them in a deep frier at 350ºF. You can also fry them on the stove at medium high temperature. Fry the empanadas for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Then put them on a paper towels to drain them.
• *Note: You can shape the empanadas a day ahead, and chill them until you are ready to fry. Once empanadas are cooked, keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.