Beef Empanadas with Chimichurri

Ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, green olives, and spices in a flaky pastry served with a homemade chimichurri sauce.

servings: 8

total time: 2 hours

recipe by: Frankie

Ingredients

DOUGH:
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 TBSP frozen unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
THE FILLING:
2 large eggs
1 pound ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/2 tsp salt
ASSEMBLY:
2 TBSP olive oil, divided
CHIMICHURRI:
1 packed cup fresh parsley
1/2 packed cup fresh cilantro
1/4 packed cup fresh oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper

CONVERSION CALCULATOR

Directions

DOUGH:
Grate the frozen butter using the large holes on a grater. Stir together the flour, butter, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Slowly pour in the cold water while stirring until well combined and a dough is formed.
Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls. Place the dough balls in the refrigerator until ready to use.
FILLING:
Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils place a lid on the pan and turn off the heat. Let eggs sit in the covered pan for 10 minutes.
Rinse the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs, roughly chop, and set aside.
Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium-high heat, while breaking the beef up, until browned, about 6 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and stir the garlic, cumin, cayenne, green olives, chopped eggs, and salt in with the beef. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush a large baking sheet with 1 TBSP of the olive oil.
Take the dough balls out of the fridge and roll them into circle disks roughly 6-inches in diameter on a well floured surface.
Place the filling in the center of each dough circle about a 1/2-inch from the edge. Brush the edges with a little water, fold the dough circles in half and press the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal in the filling.
Lay the empanadas on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil.
Bake the empanadas in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops become lightly browned.
Allow emapnadas to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve empanadas with the chimichurri sauce on the side for dipping.
CHIMICHURRI:
Finely chop the herbs and put them in a mixing bowl. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper until well combined.
Taste sauce and add additional salt & pepper if necessary.