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Empanadas Mendocinas + '10 La Posta del Viñatero Malbec for #winePW


The second Saturday of the month is one of my favorite days. Do you know why? Because it's our #winePW - Wine Pairing Weekend - reveal. I absolutely adore it. How can you not love bloggers who love food and love wine. It's a fantastic event from which I never fail to make a wine shopping list.

And this month - the first month of 2015 - Christy of Confessions of a Culinary Diva is hosting. Here's Christy's invitation for "New Wine Resolutions for the New Year."

So, our job this month was to explore a wine, region or grape varietal that we want to learn more about. "So many wines to explore in 2015 and only 365 days to complete the task." If you see this early enough, please join us January 10th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. We’ll be chatting on twitter at #WinePW about our wine resolutions. We’d love to have you join us!

In My Glass
Funny story. I decided that my wine resolution was to learn more about South American wines, specifically Argentinian wines. I did some reading, searched high and low for the wine I wanted to try, located it, ordered it, and drove to pick it up. When I got home, I looked at a bottle of wine I had just received from some friends for Christmas. Same region. Similar wine. Whoops. I could have saved myself a trip. But, now I have three bottles from Mendoza, Argentina to try. That's never a bad thing.


The wine I picked - La Posta del Viñatero Malbec 2010 - is a flamboyant red. I like big reds. Dense with hints of chocolate and tobacco but with a lush, fruity finish. I will definitely pick up another bottle of La Posta soon.

On the Plate
To match the wine from Mendoza in my glass, I cooked a tradtional empanada from the same region of Argentina. Two things set empanadas mendocinas apart from other Argentinian empanadas: they don't use raisins that are typical in other empanada recipes and the dough includes milk which gives it an added silkiness. These are fairly easy to do and so, so tasty. I had some Kitchen Elves helping me...


Ingredients makes approximately 30 small empanadas
Empanada dough
  • 3 C flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ C butter
  • 1 C milk, warmed (I used whole milk)
  • ½ t salt

Beef Filling
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 T smoked paprika
  • 2 T chili powder
  • 1 T fresh oregano, chopped
  • ½ T ground cumin
  • ½ C butter
  • 2 onions, peeled and diced
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
  • ¼ C caper berries, quartered

To Finish
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Procedure
Empanada dough
Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and blend well. Add the egg yolk and, then, the milk. Knead until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. Cut out round disc shapes for empanadas - we used a measuring cup.


Beef Filling
Combine the first five ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add the onions and cook till the onions are softened and translucent. Add the meat mixture to the onions and cook on medium heat until the meat is cooked, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Let the meat mixture cool, then place at your work area with the chopped green onions, hard boiled eggs, and caper berries.

Assembly
To assemble the empanadas place a spoonful of the meat mixture on one half of the empanada disc, add a slice of egg and caper berry.


Fold the empanada discs in half and seal the edges by twisting and folding the edges of the empanadas with your fingers.



Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the beaten egg. This gives them a nice golden glow when they bake.


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes - till nicely browned and firm to the touch.

Serve warm with chimichurri sauce or other dipping sauces. I whipped up a fresh Ají.


Wine Pairing Weekend #8 
Here's what all of the bloggers have created for the January Wine Pairing Weekend! Try something new this year!


And that's a Wrap...
...on our January #winePW event.  My Empanadas Mendocinas + '10 La Posta del Viñatero Malbec pairing was so much fun! I'll pin this recipe and other posts on my #winePW pinterest board. David, the event creator, also has a Wine Pairing Weekend pinterest board

And, be sure to mark your calendars for February's Wine Pairing Weekend, hosted by me. We'll be sharing romantic food pairings - sweets and savories - at the #WinePW 9 conversation on Saturday, February 14th! Valentines' Day.

If you can't find La Posta del Viñatero's Malbec, look for a Malbec that is not too syrupy. And if you try this pairing - or just the wine - I would love to hear what you think. Comment below, find Culinary Adventures with Camilla on facebook, or tweet to me at @Culinary_Cam.

Comments

  1. Yum! I love empanadas, and these look good! Seems like a perfect pairing for the Malbec!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, I guess I never have had a traditional empanada. I don't recall any egg, raisins or caperberries in the empanadas I have tried. This is a very intriguing recipe and the flavors sound as if they would pair perfectly with a Malbec.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The caperberries are NOT traditional. The empanadas in that region traditionally have egg and green olives.

      Delete
  3. My wine resolution was to explore South American wines too...Chile specifically. I'll have to give Argentina a look too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will have to look at some Chilean wines soon. Thanks for the post.

      Delete
  4. I can't wait to read about your exploring! And I'll take a plate of these empanadas, please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarah. Yes, I think I want another plate of empanadas, too.

      Delete
  5. Wonderful and delicious post. xo Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great pairing! Look forward to your SA Wine explorations. If I can help in any way please let me know. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks like a great pairing Cam! Wish I had some kitchen elves! Love empanadas. Exploring the wines of South America should be fun

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Years of training and the elves are finally helpful!!

      Delete
  8. Camilla, this looks delicious! I thought Empanadas would be more complicated to make but these look fun and easy (and yummy too) - I'm going to have to try them soon, with your wine pairing, of course!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So glad to have this empanada recipe and the La Posta is one of our faves!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those empanadas look delicious and I love Malbec as well as other south american wines!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Caperberries? I've never used them, ever. Not sure where to find them either. I do like your recipe - looks tasty and easy to assemble. I think this is my next weekend recipe to try with my son. Your choice of wine was perfect. Love Malbec from Argentina. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I usually pick up caperberries at Whole Foods. Different from capers. Caperberries are larger, about the size of an olive.

      Delete

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