Family that Cooks Together: Empanadas

EMPANADAS

Guess what? Until fairly recently, I had never had an empanada. For those who are not familiar, they are a corn dough filled pocket of goodness that is deep fried and a cousin of all the other hand-held pocket pies like pierogi, ravioli, and even dumplings. While some of the specifics may be different, the basic idea is quite similar.

For those who want to recreate the savory, meat and potato filled empanada at home - I am going to list a basic outline of what we did, as a family, but I have zero exact measurements. This is also another example of mixing and adding things until they look right, taste right, or feel right.

What you will need:

Ingredients

• 2-pound chuck or rump roast
• Garlic
• Onion
• Green onion
• Beef bouillon
• Salt
• 4 - 5 potatoes
• 1 fresh, diced tomato
• Goya Sazón
• Corn meal for the dough
• Vegetable oil
• Water

Tools

• Large pot or deep fryer
• Cookie sheet
• Spider or slotted spoon
• Thermometer for the oil
• Cooling rack
• Large mixing bowls
• Sandwich bag cut open or large piece of plastic wrap
• Small skillet

The steps

1. Cook the meat in a large pot on the stove in water with garlic, onion, green onion, beef bouillon, "a lot" of salt.
2. Remove meat and set aside.
3. Boil potatoes in the same water until soft.
4. Shred the beef.
5. Prepare hogao (sort of like sofrito) of diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, and some Goya Sazón in a small skillet. Once translucent and fragrant, transfer to the pot with the drained, soft potatoes, and add the meat back in.
6. Prepare the dough by mixing pre-cooked corn meal with some Goya Sazón, salt, vegetable oil, and water (this is where you need an expert who can look at it and decide if it needs to be wetter).
7. Set up battle stations for assembly line style. Press out dough into small circles, place 2 large tablespoons of filling, fold over and pinch to seal then create pretty scallop edge with the side of your thumb.
8. Fry in oil brought to 350 degrees until the dough feels firm and crisp.
9. Allow empanadas to drain on rack over cookie sheet.
10. Enjoy.

As you might imagine, the process takes time and is not something that can be rushed.

The four of us working together were able to make more than 70 crispy pockets of deliciousness. Some were given as thank you gifts to friends and others were simply gifted to appreciative family.

We created a memory together, created good food together, and in the end, were all Fed Well.