Beef Empanadas

This South American treat makes a great appetizer or snack. Using frozen pie crusts is an easy shortcut and ensures a crisp crust.

Ingredients

Yield: 24 empanadas

1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 large onion minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 Tablespoons green cocktail olives (pimento filled), chopped
1 Tablespoon raisins
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 9-inch frozen pie crusts, defrosted

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and beef, crumbling it into the skillet and cook until brown. Add tomato paste, olives, raisins and paprika and stir to combine. When mixture is almost dry, remove the skillet from the heat and let cool. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper.

Remove pie crusts from pans and roll out to flatten. Cut each crust into 12, 3-inch rounds of dough. Gather scraps and re-roll dough as necessary. Fill each round of dough with a spoonful of filling and crimp edges to form half-moon shaped dumplings and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Pair with Ojos Verdes Malbec 2008.

Estimated Prep Time: 20 minutes
Estimated Cooking Time: 30 minutes