Empanada Recipe?

[IKnowWood]

ok, for those who do not know what the Empanada is, its typically referred to as Mexican Meat desert pockets.  They are a sweet nut & Meat filling wrapped by some breading and deep fried.  My mother makes these around christmas time and its a family staple.  Problem is she works off of feel and look and not a recipe.  We have tried to capture some logic and directions to it but it is not right. 

So I ask our community, does anyone have a good recipe for an Empanada?  All I remember is some type of meat (pork many times I think), raisons, pecans or walnuts and other stuff? 

Thanks for anyone with a good one.

[Smokin Soon]

I can probably get my wife's version, don't know if it is the same but it has pork and raisins involved. Hers is the Filipino version that is quite good. It has to have that nice golden brown on the top. I'm not to good with the dough stuff. Deb is the queen of all baking products here.

[deb415611]

I don't have a recipe, it's something I have always wanted to try but never have.

I bet Nepas' mom has one! 

[Smokin Soon]

Wife's at work now, I just did a google...lots of good recipes out there. The ones I have had, It's the pastry that counts as well as the filling. Never had any with nuts.

[lumpy]

NePas mom probably got it from her mom ;D

Lumpy

[NePaSmoKer]

 :D

Ya'll crack me up

Yeah i gots a handed down empanada recipe. Here are some i made awhile back. Smoked GM with sofrito, olives and cheese. I even have the empanada press. Some call them pastalios. You can make the empanada dough or buy Goya pre made rounds located in the freezer section.

These have smoked GM with the sofrito and cheese filling.



Here is my recipe for sofrito

2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers
16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed
7 to 10 ajices dulces optional (these are Puerto Rican sweet peppers)
4 leaves of culantro , or another handful cilantro
3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks
1 cup chopped spanish olives (add after the food processor OPT)

Chop the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers in the bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze it in ice cube trays for other dishes.

If you can't find ajices dulces or culantro. Up the amount of cilantro to 1 1/2 bunches


nepas

[Smokin Soon]

I was wondering how they got that perfect little seam around the edges on the ones from the bakery. Now I know!

[humanpest]

I'll be posting a pretty easy recipe on the 4th of July Thread... I'll try to remember to link it here when I do.

I tend to cheat and use Puff Pastry which is only good if your baking it, I'll try to switch over to the homemade crust one day though.

As far as the filling recipe, I've typically seen (theres ands and ors here but theres too many combos):
Cheese, boiled eggs, ground beef, chicken, pork, jerk chicken, onions/peppers and almost anything else.

And then you can bake or fry them depending on how much of a gutbuster you want them to be ;)

[La Quinta]

I have a Jamaican empanada recipe...has a lot of Carribean flavors...lemme know if you're interested... :)

[NePaSmoKer]

For the stuffing i do GB or Carnitas. I cook and drain the fat then add the sofrito the last 5 mins. Let cool then stuff into the rounds then fold over.


Here is my empanada folder. Way faster than folding over and crimping with your fingers or fork  ;D Folds an 8" empanada round with 4T of filling with cheese.







nepas

[Smokin Soon]

LQ, I would like to take a peek at your Jamaican version. If it is good with "cheater dough" please post.

[La Quinta]

ok..SS...lemme dig it out...it's good...not hard and very forgiving...as you know you can put whatever you want in them!! Sweet, savory...whatever...brb...

[Habanero Smoker]

ok..SS...lemme dig it out...it's good...not hard and very forgiving...as you know you can put whatever you want in them!! Sweet, savory...whatever...brb...

There is nothing like a Jamaican (Caribbean) patty; whether it is meat, fish or vegetable.