All Things Dumpling – Empanadas

I love all things dumpling, and every culture has their own; Italian ravioli, Jewish knishes and kreplach, Indian samosas, Tibetan or Nepalese momos, Polish pierogies, British pasty, Chinese wontons. The list goes on and on, and I love them all.

As a teenager, I discovered Chinese dim sum restaurants. Other than my grandmother’s knishes, it was my gateway to dumplings. They wheel dozens of types of dim sum around the restaurant on steaming carts and you point to what you want. There are steamed, baked, and fried dumplings in a variety of wrappers with all sorts of fillings from barbeque pork to curry chicken to sweet shrimp. For me it was the original small plates meal, and of course I needed to try everything.

My senior year of high school I remember cutting school and going to my Ukrainian friend Joey’s house. When we got hungry he ran around the corner to a local market and came back with a bag of fresh made pierogies. He’d sauté them in butter, and then add some boiling water. He covered the pan with a lid to allow the potato and onion-filled pockets of dough to steam. When the water was absorbed and the dough completely cooked, the browned butter remained to fry the bottoms of the pierogies to a golden goodness.

When I grew a little older I stopped with a friend in Brooklyn to eat Jamaican beef patties; spiced beef stuffed inside a flaky pastry dough. A different dumpling, to be sure, but a dumpling nonetheless. Later, in St. Thomas, where I lived with my soon to be wife, I would visit a tiny stand on the waterfront under the Hard Rock Café where a woman would fry up beef patties for locals. They were delicious.

While these beef patties were close relatives, it wasn’t until later in life that I tried my first empanada, a Spanish or Latin American filled dumpling with a crispy crust. As Spanish culture moved around the world, empanadas evolved. Some are baked, while others are fried, and the fillings are endless. Ground beef is traditional, but they can also be stuffed with anything from chicken to fish to vegetables. There are even dessert empanadas with guava paste and melted cheese. Whole restaurants have been developed around empanadas; Empanada Mama in New York City, for example, has dozens of varieties, from the traditional to the very unusual.

It doesn’t matter what culture, what type of wrapper, or what filling, dumplings are delicious. They are perfect as a snack, as a course in a small plates menu, or as a whole meal on their own.

Beef Empanadas

Beef is one of the traditional fillings for empanadas. Ground beef is cooked with onions, garlic, and spices, then stuffed into dough and either baked or fried. In many cultures chefs add green olives, raisins, and pieces of hard boiled egg to the filling. When you make empanadas, no one can tell you what to do, so add whatever you like, and invent your own filling.

Of course I should make my own dough – I know it would be better – but I don’t. I purchase packages of frozen empanada wrappers at a local supermarket. Many supermarkets now carry them, and they can certainly be found at a market that caters to a Central or South American clientele. Know that when you get to the frozen foods section there are at least two types of wrappers – those for fried and baked empanadas. Make sure to decide how you want to cook them and buy the appropriate type. I always bake mine.

P.S. This meat filling is also great covering tortilla chips with melted cheese for nachos. Just add your choice of pickled jalapeños, onions, tomato, olives, cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream.

makes 2 – 3 dozen empanadas, about 1 hour

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 – 2 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed or finely chopped

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 lb. ground beef

1 Tbsp. ancho chili powder

½ Tbsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

½ tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

1½ Tbsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Frank’s

⅓ cup sliced green olives with pimentos (optional)

2 – 3 packages (2 – 3 dozen) frozen empanada wrappers for baking

1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Chimichurri or hot sauce for serving

Make the filling

1. Heat oil on medium-low in a large, heavy skillet until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 7 minutes.
2. Add pressed garlic and tomato paste, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic brown.
3. Turn the heat to high and add ground beef. Let it cook and brown for a few minutes without stirring. Eventually stir and cook until done and well-browned, about 10 minutes. Drain excess oil from the pan. Use a spoon to crumble meat.
4. Lower heat to medium and add chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and add a ¼ cup water to help the spices coat the meat. Cook for about 5 minutes until most of the water has evaporated and the spices have bloomed and are evenly distributed. Add hot sauce and mix in. Allow the filling to cool.
5. If adding green olives, raisins, or hard boiled eggs, stir them into the filling.

Assemble the Empanadas

1. While filling cools, remove the empanada wrappers from the freezer and allow them to defrost.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 ^oF.
3. Remove one wrapper at a time from the package and place 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold it into a semi-circle with the filling inside. Pinch or fold the edges together so they will stay closed and crimp with a fork if necessary. Lay filled empanadas on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat so that they are close to each other, but not touching.
4. In a bowl beat 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons water. Brush a light coat over each empanada just before baking.
5. Bake the empanadas for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning the pan as necessary, until golden brown.
6. Serve with chimichurri or hot sauce, or just eat plain.

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