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Francis Mallmann’s Empanadas Mendocinas

Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 30 empanadas
Course: Appetizer
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup of lard
  • 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the filling
  • 1 lb well-marbled beef, such as tri-tip or sirloin, cut into small, bite size pieces
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1/4 cup lard
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter (4 tbsp cut into tablespoons, 2 tbsp cut into small cubes)
  • 3 medium onions quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 4 scallions, white and green parts minced and separated
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped oregano
  • 2 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • kosher salt, to taste

Method
 

To make the dough
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and salt and bring to a simmer. Add the lard and stir until melted. Pour the liquid into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough begins to form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding the remaining flour as necessary, 2 tablespoons at a time, until a stiff, dry dough forms. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, pat them into 1-inch-thick disks and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
To make the filling
  1. Season the cut meat well with salt and black pepper.
  2. In a large pot or dutch oven, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Submerge the beef pieces with enough room to easily cover the meat with about an inch of water. Reduce heat to a simmer and poach meat for 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the beef from the poaching liquid to a large bowl.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the lard in the 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika and the scallion whites and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the scallion greens. Season with salt and black pepper and transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with cooked beef. Let the filling rest and cool before prepping the empanadas.
To assemble
  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough to a 7-by-14-inch rectangle, about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 6 rounds of dough and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets; save the scraps. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough. Combine all of the scraps and knead them into a disk. Roll out and stamp out 6 more rounds; transfer to the baking sheet.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place 1 tablespoon of the meat filling in the center of each dough round. Top with the chopped eggs, olives and small cubes of butter. Using your finger, moisten the rim of each dough round with water and fold the dough in half over the filling to form half moons. Pinch the edges together to seal and crimp. Bake the empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through baking, until golden. Serve hot.
If using an air fryer
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together one egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush onto assembled empanadas.
  2. Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Add as many empanadas as will fit in a single layer – likely 2 to 6, depending on the size of your air fryer.
  3. Air fry at 325°F for 8 minutes.
  4. Repeat with the remaining empanadas and enjoy!