Don't Pass on Empanadas For Your Super Bowl Soire

Thanks to Spain for the pastry, thanks to Tejas for the filling. These can be baked or deep-fried. Baked might be the better choice for the buffet table. This will fit in well with the requisite watch-party guacamole and salsa.

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or freshly rendered lard
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water

FILLING:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small diced white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 5 dried guajillos chiles, rehydrated, stemmed and finely diced
• 1 large serrano chile, stemmed and diced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 3 tablespoons water
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1¼ pounds ground chuck
• Juice of ½ lime

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, shortening, butter, and salt.
2. Mix lightly until the dough forms cherry-sized pieces.
3. Stir in the water.
4. Lightly and carefully knead until the dough forms a ball. Add a little more water if needed.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until soft but not browned, 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes, guajillo and serrano chiles, cilantro, cumin, oregano and water.
8. Cook the mixture down until the consistency of marinara sauce.
9. Crumble the ground beef, mashing and stirring it to combine with the sauce. Increase the heat to high and cook, covered, until the meat has lost its pink color and the filling is moist but not liquid, about 12 minutes. The meat should be soft like meat loaf.
10. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice, and set aside to cool.
11. Remove dough from refrigerator and let it return to room temperature, about 1 hour
12. Pinch off about half the dough. Roll out, on a floured surface, to a thickness of 1/8 inch.
13. Cut out 3-inch circles. Then, gather the scraps, add to the rest of the dough, and roll out another batch of circles. Repeat, with the rest of the scraps.
14. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle of pastry.
15. Fold over the pastry and seal the edges, then crimp with a fork.
16. Let the empanadas rest in the refrigerator 30 minutes or freeze immediately.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 400. Frozen empanadas don’t need thawing. Glaze with egg wash (1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk, well beaten) and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.