Baked Picadillo Empanadas #EattheWorld

Another year. Another cooking project. Yeah, I'm a sucker for any cooking project that gets us out of our own culinary traditions. So, I was excited to see the new #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Here's her challenge. We're kicking off the project with Cuba! And you'll see a new country celebrated on the 10th of every month. Stay tuned.

Cuba was one of the first of my dinner party themes and it was all because of a mojito. Yes, I did plan an entire dinner around a cocktail! In the years since, we've made even more Cuban dishes, including Mojo-Marinated Pork Cubanos, Caldo Gallego, Pastel de Mango con Tres Leches, and so many more. We just love the Cuban flavor profiles of sour and salty and sweet. It's a circus for the tongue.

Eat the World: Cuba Edition
You can see what the other bloggers are sharing for our inaugural #EattheWorld...

• Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm: RopaVieja in Slow Cooker
• Camilla, Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Baked Picadillo Empanadas
• Sarah, Curious Cuisiniere: SlowCooker Cuban Mojo Pork
• Karen, Karen's Kitchen Stories:Cuban Bread {Pan Cubano de Manteca}
• Evelyne, CulturEatz: Cuban Mojo Pork Chops and Yuca
• Amy, Amy's Cooking Adventures: Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
• Loreto and Nicoletta, Sugar Loves Spices: Cuban Sandwich
• Bernice, Dish'N'The Kitchen: HuevosHabaneros - A Cuban Breakfast

Baked Picadillo Empanadas

Though Evelyne urged us to stretch a bit and cook something we've never made before - and I will, I promise! - I couldn't say 'no' when my Precise Kitchen Elf asked if he could make a batch of empanadas for the project. He doesn't cook with me very often, unlike his little brother, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf, who cooks with me all the time. So, when R offers, I run with it.

Picadillo is a traditional Latin dish whose name comes from the verb picar which means 'to mince.' Every Latin American country has a slightly different twise; the Cuban version includes olives, raisins, garlic, oregano, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Remember, I said, sour, salty, sweet, and more. And the word empanada comes from the verb 'empanar' which literally means to 'wrap in bread.'

Our version is baked, not fried, and we served it with three different sauces: chimichurri, fresh tomato salsa, and more picadillo in case they wanted more meat!

Ingredients 

makes approximately 36 medium empanadas

Empanada dough

• 6 C flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 C butter
• 2 C milk, warmed (we used whole milk)
• 1 t salt

Picadillo

• 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
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 T fresh tomato sauce
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 C sliced olives
• 1/2 C golden raisins

To Finish

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 hard boiled eggs, cubed
• ½ C caper berries, quartered

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.

Beef Filling

Combine the first five ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add the onions, garlic, and poblano 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 thoroughly, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 T fresh tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let the meat mixture cool, then place at your work area with the 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, You can twist and fold the edges with your fingers.You can crimp the edges with a fork.  Or you can use an empanada fork, what R called his "empanada generator."

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.

We served ours with homemade salsa rojo, chimichurri sauce, and leftover picadillo. Yum!