Charbar's empanadas

Image for Charbar's empanadas

One of the signature dishes at Calgary's Charbar, these empanadas are perfect for brunch. Try serving them with chimichurri and fried eggs.

Filling

2 cups ground or finely cubed beef
1 cup finely diced onions
2/3 cups finely diced potatoes
4 hard-boiled eggs, finely diced
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp Aji panca paste, or red chili paste
1/2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a pan over medium heat, warm oil, add beef then cooké until golden brown. Add onion, potato, cumin seeds, aji panca paste, paprika and salt. Sauté until onions are soft. Add water and cook until potatoes are completely cooked. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and cool over ice. Once completely cooled, fold in chopped hard-boiled eggs and cilantro.

Dough

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated (mixture will look shaggy).

Turn mixture out onto a lightly-floured surface and gather together, then knead gently just enough to bring dough together.

Form dough into a flat rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
 On a floured surface, roll dough into 1/8” thickness. Cut into rounds of 4” circles.

 

Assembly

1 egg

Preheat oven to 500 F.

Place dough in palm of hand. Lightly wet the rim of the dough with water. With the other hand, scoop two 1-inch scoops of empanada filling onto the centre of the dough.

With the clean hand, pinch the edge of the dough closed while squeezing out excess air.

Once sealed, fold over the edges in a pattern to seal empanada for baking. 

Beat an egg in a separate bowl. Brush the top with egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Yield:
12 empanadas
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour 15 minutes