Cornmeal 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

VENEZUELAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the filling: Place the beef, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt and water to cover in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the meat is almost falling apart, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred with a fork; cool. Reserve the broth.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and shallot; cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion, paprika, sazon completa, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and 1 cup of the reserved broth and cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
• Make the dough: Mix 3 1/2 cups hot water, the sugar, vegetable oil, butter and salt in a medium bowl until the butter melts. Stir in the cornmeal and flour until a soft dough forms, then knead on a clean surface until the dough comes together. Shape into 12 balls, using about 1/2 cup dough for each.
• One at a time, sprinkle each dough ball with water, place between two pieces of lightly oiled heavy-duty plastic wrap (a cut resealable bag works well) and roll into a 7-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic and place 2 to 3 tablespoons filling in the center of the dough. Use the bottom piece of
• plastic to fold the dough in half over the filling and press to seal. Trim into a half-moon shape with a knife or press down with the round edge of a bowl. Remove the plastic and place the empanada on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 365 degrees F. Fry the empanadas in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet; keep warm in the oven.
• Make the sauce: Combine the cilantro, olive oil, avocado, bell pepper, scallion, vinegar and garlic in a blender. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper and puree until smooth. Thin out the sauce with up to 1/4 cup water and serve with the empanadas.

CORNMEAL EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, raisins and seasonings; simmer. , Meanwhile, for pastry, combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, a little at a time, until dough forms a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. , Divide pastry into two balls; roll half out on a lightly floured surface to a 16-in. circle. Cut into four 7-1/2-in. rounds. Place 1/2 cup filling on each round. Combine egg and water; brush on pastry edges. Fold dough over to form half circles; crimp edges to seal. Repeat with other half of pastry and remaining filling. , Place on greased baking sheets; brush tops with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with taco sauce if desired.

CORNMEAL EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Cook ground beef; drain. Simmer together filling ingredients. Combine flour, cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, alittle at a time, until dough froms a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 min. Divide into two balls; roll half on a floured surface to a 16- inch circle. Cut into four 7½ in. rounds. Put ½ of filling on each round. Brush with combined egg and water. Fold to form half circles; crimp edges to seal. Repeat with other dough and fil Bake on greased baking sheet 25 to 30 minutes at 400℉ (200℃). until lightly browned. Serve with additional taco sauce, if desired.

BAKED CORN EMPANADITAS

Steps:

• Combine the masa harina, water and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky and form a ball when pressed together. To test, flatten a small ball of dough between your palms. If the edges crack, add water to the dough, a tablespoon at a time, until a test piece does not crack. Cover with a damp towel until ready to use.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Ad the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt and pepper and saute 1 minute longer to release the aromas. Add the tomato, potatoes and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid from the tomatoes is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and cheese and correct the seasoning. Set aside to cool.
• Divide the dough into 24 golfball size pieces, moistening your hands with water to prevent sticking if necessary. Flatten balls to 3 inch disks. Place a heaping teaspoon of stuffing on the empanada and close by pressing the edges together with your fingers. Shape into a half moon. Repeat until all the half moons are formed. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the empanaditas on top. Brush with the glaze and prick with a fork to make steam holes. Bake for about 2530 minutes, or until golden. Remove and transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

PICADILLO EMPAñADAS WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make the cornmeal dough:
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer proof the yeast with the sugar in 1/4 cup of the milk for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup milk, the whole egg, the egg yolk, the sour cream, and the butter, add 2 cups of the flour, the cornmeal, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough. With the dough hook knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, for 4 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours and punch it down. (The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Make the picadillo:
• In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, the garlic, the jalapeños, the cumin, the chili powder, the oregano, the cinnamon, the cloves, and pepper to taste in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the chuck, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes with the juice, the raisins, the olives, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the picadillo, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, and let it cool. (The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the picadillo return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 6-inch round cutter cut each piece into a round. Put about 1/3 cup of the picadillo onto the bottom two thirds of each round and fold the rounds in half, enclosing the filling. Seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively. Transfer the empanadas with a spatula to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer the empanadas to a rack and let them cool.

STANDARD MASA FOR EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Combine masarepa, salt and 2 cups tepid water in a large bowl. Stir with your hands and massage into a smooth dough.
• Take a small ball in your hand and press it flat. If the dough cracks, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is smoother and workable. (Small cracks around the edges are OK.)
• Cover masa and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes before using. Masa can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge in a zip-top bag.
• For empanada assembly and cooking instructions, proceed to Step 6 of this Colombian Beef and Potato Empanadas recipe.