Spicy Beef and Green Olive Empanadas

I’ve wanted to try empanadas for a while – found in South America, Latin America, and even parts of Asia they consist of bread / dough / pastry folded around a variety of fillings – including meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit.

Simply translated, one could call them crescent shaped pies…but the purists may be up in arms. I used puff pastry to wrap around my filling, but you could make your own dough and be a little more authentic – although the puff pastry worked beautifully.

     
I chose a filling of cubes of rump steak and Mediterranean Delicacies Pimento Stuffed Green Olives – as they’re a little spicy, and have no stones they are perfect for this dish. Sprinkled with a delicate spice mix of cumin, chilli and cinnamon and served with a simple dipping sauce they make a great lunch-box filler and are the perfect entertainer’s dish.

    

Makes 6
 

Ingredients:
1 roll puff pastry, thawed
300g rump steak, cut into small cubes (or mince, if you prefer)
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp cumin
salt to taste
3 tbsp Mediterranean Delicacies Pimento Stuffed Green Olives, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
sprinkling of pecorino, if desired

For the dipping sauce:
100ml mayonnaise
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp crushed garlic

Method:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. While it’s heating, place a frying pan on a medium high heat, add the olive oil and steak / mince. Fry until coloured, then add the spices and green olives. Remove from the heat.

Roll out your puff pastry, and cut out circles 10cm in diameter. Place the meat mixture on one half of each circle, being careful not to pile it too high. Fold the other half of the pastry over each little meat circle, pressing closed with the tines of a fork. Brush the top of each half moon with the beaten egg, and top with a sprinkling of pecorino, if using.

Place on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden. While they are baking, stir together the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small bowl.
Place the empanadas on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Note : This post and recipe forms part of a campaign I am doing for Mediterranean Delicacies, and for which I will be remunerated.