Baked Meat-Filled Empanadas (Empanadas al Horno)!!

How I have ALWAYS wanted to make baked ones!

Dough
Adapted from “El Vino Perfecto Para Cada Comida,” by Héctor Vergara (Planeta Vino, 2005)

Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling


3 1/2 ounces lard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups flour, more for work surface.


1. Melt lard in a small saucepan over low heat. Immediately mix with salt and 2/3 cup very warm water. Place flour in a food processor. Turn machine on and pour half the liquid through feed tube. Stop machine, turn it to pulse and add half the remaining liquid. Keep pulsing and add rest of liquid.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly until smooth, form into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.

Yield: Dough for 10 6-inch or 24 3-inch empanadas.


Baking Directions:
Adapted from “El Vino Perfecto Para Cada Comida,” by Héctor Vergara (Planeta Vino, 2005)

Adapted from “El Vino Perfecto Para Cada Comida,” by Héctor Vergara (Planeta Vino, 2005)

Time: 1 hour


1 1/2 tablespoons lard

1 cup fine-chopped onion

1/2 pound lean beef, minced

Salt and fresh black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste

Empanada dough (see recipe)

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

12 pitted cured black olives, sliced

30 raisins

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water.



1. Melt lard in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add onion and sauté on medium until it barely starts to color. Add beef. Cook until ingredients are lightly browned. Add salt and pepper to taste, cumin, paprika and hot sauce. Set aside. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Roll dough as thin as possible. Cut 6-inch circles. Scraps can be re-rolled one time. Place some meat mixture on one half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around filling. Top with a slice of egg, some olive pieces and a few raisins. Brush egg on empty side of circle, fold dough over to make a half-circle and crimp edges. Traditional squared empanadas can be made by folding an inch or so of each of the pointed ends of the half-circle over to make straight sides, then folding up the rounded bottom to square off the empanada.

3. Arrange empanadas on a baking sheet. Squared empanadas should be placed with folded side down. Bake 10 minutes. Turn empanadas over, bake 5 minutes longer, until lightly browned on both sides. Allow to cool briefly before serving.

Yield: 8 to 10 large empanadas.