Tex-Mex Style Empanadas with Roasted Poblano Crema

Dough

Mix flour and salt in a food processor until well combined, about 5 pulses. Add soften butter. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk and milk. Slowly add egg yolk mixture to dough mix. Pulse until small dough clumps start to form. Remove dough from food processor onto flour-dusted surface and form into a disk. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When the dough is rested, quarter the dough to make it easier to work with. [Each quarter makes 4-6 empanadas. This recipe makes 16-24 empanadas when using a 4” round cutter.] Roll each quarter into slabs about 1/4-inch thick and cut with round cookie cutter.

Beef Picadillo

Melt butter in medium sized pan and sauté onions over medium heat until translucent. In a separate bowl, mix beef, olives, paprika, chili powder and cumin. Add to pan with onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until reaching desired doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to cookie sheet to cool.

Empanadas

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Make simple egg wash with 1 egg and 4 Tbsp water. Line up dough discs and brush edges with egg wash. Add desired amount of meat (about 3 tbsp) and shredded cheese (2 tbsp) to 1/2 of each disc (you will need a lot less filling that you think, it’s easy to overfill). Fold empanada discs in half and gently seal with fingertips. You can securely seal with a fork and press down on the edges or crimp each by hand. Brush each empanada with remaining egg wash to give it a glossy finish. Bake on a cookie sheet until golden brown and delicious (about 20 minutes).

Roasted Poblano Crema

Slowly roast a poblano pepper over gas stove top or in the oven (should look relatively burnt). Once reached desired doneness, place pepper in a plastic bag and let rest for about 15 minutes. Remove from bag and peel skin under cold water. Remove and discard stem and seeds. Place in food processor with crema agria, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth-ish. Transfer to bowl and serve with warm empanadas.

Makes 16-24 depending on size

Recipe created by Chef Edward Garcia @theboxstreetsocial and Stephanie Guerra @puropinchesa