Empanadas (from Argentina)

Compliments of Teresita - makes 3 dozen

Ingredients for the dough:

1 lb.          All purpose flower
2 oz.         Melted fat
250 ml      Hot water with salt, cooled

Directions for the dough:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl.  Knead the dough lightly and then let it rest for half an hour.  Once that is done, make round balls about 1 inch in diameter.  Flatten the round balls with the heel of your palm, and roll the dough into a thin, circular shape.

Ingredients for the filling:

1 lb.          Ground beef
1 lb.          Chopped onions
1 tbsp.      Lard
2 tbsp.      Corn Oil
Raisins
Green olives, unpitted and chopped
Hard boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
Green onions, chopped
Red Pepper Flakes
Paprika
Cumin

Directions for the filling:

In a saucepan melt the lard and corn oil and cook the onions until transparent.  Add the ground beef, seperating it with a fork.  Add the raisins, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cumin.  Pour in a little hot water and let the filling boil for a couple minutes.

Keep the filling in the fridge overnight to cool.  Before you fill the empanadas, add the chopped hard boiled eggs, olives, and green onions and stir.

Fill the empanadas generously with the ground beef - there should be about 2 fingers width on both sides of the filling to the edge of the dough.  Dab water in a semi-circle around half the dough.  Fold both edges up to meet at the top and then seal down to the edges, trying to keep out any air.  Starting on one side of the closed semi-circle, fold the edge down to a triangle, and continue around the dough edge to seal the other end.

Either bake the empanadas or drop them in boiling oil for about 45 seconds and sprinkle with sugar.

Enjoy with a nice glass of Torrontes wine!