empanadas

GOYA’s beef empanadas fill pastry rounds with a tomato, onion, garlic and ground-beef mixture. The producer describes the turnovers as suitable for an appetizer or a larger meal, with its frying-dough rounds making a flaky pastry shell.

Ground beef is browned in olive oil and broken apart with a wooden spoon. Yellow onion is added and cooked until soft before tomato sauce, sliced pimiento-stuffed olives and sofrito join the filling.

Sazón with Coriander and Annatto, the chosen minced or fresh garlic, oregano and black pepper season the mixture. It simmers over lower heat until thickened, preparing a filling that can be spooned into the pastry.

Thawed dough discs are rolled slightly larger on a lightly floured surface. Filling goes into the centre, and each round folds in half to form a half moon. Water moistens the edges, which are pinched shut or pressed with a fork.

The turnovers fry in corn oil in batches, turning once until crisp and golden brown. They drain on paper towels at the finish. The recipe allows yellow or white frying dough, keeping the same filled-and-sealed construction.