Empanadas

The most common and popular empanada is stuffed with beef, but other common varieties are ham and cheese, capresse (cheese, tomato, and basil), chicken, and vegetable.

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• puff pastry, cut in rounds
• 2 onions
• beef mince
• 2 garlic cloves
• ⅓ tin tomatoes
• oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• handful of stuffed olives
• 1 kg lard, for frying

Instructions

Cut the pastry into rounds about the size of a saucer.

Chop onions and garlic and fry in pan with olive oil. Add beef mince and brown, then add one-third of a tin of tomatoes, a pinch of oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir until the meat is cooked. Chop the boiled eggs and add to mixture along with the stuffed olives. Set aside.

In a deep frypan melt the lard. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the centre of each pastry round and fold pastry to cover the meat. Seal the edge by crimping the pastry edge. Fry in hot lard until golden. Drain the empanadas on paper towelling and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.