Brisket Empanadas | Imamother

Amarante

Mon, May 04 2015, 6:44 am

For Cinco de Mayo Very Happy

Or if you like Mexican Latin flavors. Kind of like Latino Kreplachs. LOL

I'm including a recipe for homemade sazon spice which you can use instead of buying it already blended.

Summary notes are not my own but the original cook's summary.

Brisket Empanadas
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Recipe By: Nosher

Summary:

The best part about this recipe is that I used leftover slow-cooker brisket and brightened it up a bit by adding a touch of Latin spice, chopped potatoes and cilantro. Though my favorite part of this recipe is the passion fruit chimichurri sauce that goes along with it! And because passion fruit is not easily found on the mainland, many Latin and ethnic markets carry “passion fruit puree” which is what I used and works perfectly! You can certainly make your own as well or substitute with your favorite bright fruit.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic vegetable shortening
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon light vinegar
2 eggs, lightly whisked together

For the brisket filling:

2 cups cooked, leftover brisket, chopped roughly into smaller pieces
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and chopped finely
3 small potatoes, chopped into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sazon spice (found in Latin markets)
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling

For the passion fruit chimichurri:

1 cup passion fruit puree (found in Latin markets)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 bunch of fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves,
1/2 jalapeño
1 lime juiced and zest
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on desired consistency)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Egg wash (for brushing on empanadas)
1 egg + 1 Tbsp water, whisked together

Directions:

To make the dough: In a food processor, add the flour and salt and pulse together a few times to mix. Then add the shortening, in small dollops and pulse a few more times until the flour looks like wet sand. Then add the wet ingredients; the water, vinegar and eggs and pulse until a ball of dough forms. Remove dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it is smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the rest of the dish.

To make the filling: Heat a skillet on medium heat and add drizzle of olive oil, chopped potatoes and jalapeno and sauté until potatoes are cooked through, about 7-10 minutes (cover the pan with a lid to help speed up the cooking). Then add cumin, sazon, salt and pepper and toss to combine for another minute. Then add cooked brisket and fresh cilantro and mix everything together. Turn off heat and taste for seasoning. Set aside and allow mixture to cool.

To make the chimichurri: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend together until smooth. Add more or less water for your desired consistency, but enough to be pourable. Taste for seasoning.

To assemble the empanadas: Remove dough from refrigerator and cut in half, keeping the other half covered so it doesn’t dry out. Roll dough until it is very thin, about ¼ inch and use a 4 inch round cookie cutter (or cup works too) and cut out circles. Hold the round dough in the palm of your hand and place a tablespoon of brisket filling in the center. Wet the edges of the dough with your finger and seal the empanada on all sides and gently pushing out any air bubbles. Then use your index finger to gently crimp the edges (or you can use a fork). Place empanadas on lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Then bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly and serve with chimichurri sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground annatto seeds (achiote) or turmeric
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. 1 1/2 teaspoons of this mix equals one packet of commercial sazon.