Beef Empanadas with Tomatillo Salsa Verde

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Store-bought empanada discos do the heavy lifting here, so all your attention goes where it matters: a deeply savory beef picadillo simmered with sofrito, olives and raisins, then drained and chilled hard so it never steams the pastry from the inside. The result seals tight, bakes (or fries) shatteringly crisp, and gets a bright tomatillo salsa verde for dipping — the appetizer version restaurants charge $12 for, made a dozen at a time at home.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup dry white wine or beef broth
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup green olives, chopped
• 2 tbsp golden raisins, chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped (optional)

• 12 frozen empanada discos (about 5 in.), thawed in the refrigerator
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, for dusting
• 6 cups neutral oil, if frying

• 1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/4 white onion, cut into a wedge
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Make the picadillo first — it must be cold before you fill anything. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt and cook 6–8 minutes, until soft and just beginning to color. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef, and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook 7–9 minutes, without stirring constantly, until the liquid has cooked off and the meat is browned in spots. Season with the 1 1/2 tsp salt, paprika, cumin, oregano and cinnamon and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Push the meat aside, add the tomato paste to the bare pan, and let it toast 1 minute until it darkens. Pour in the wine and scrape the pan clean, then add the crushed tomatoes, olives and raisins. Simmer over medium-low for 12–15 minutes, until the mixture looks thick and glossy with almost no free liquid pooling when you drag a spoon through it.
4. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and parsley. Taste and adjust salt. Now drain it: scrape the picadillo into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let it sit 5 minutes, pressing gently, then spread it on a rimmed sheet pan in a thin layer. Refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour (up to 2 days), until fully cold and stiff. Fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs after chilling, if using.
5. Make the salsa verde while the filling chills. Set an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Broil the tomatillos, jalapeño, unpeeled garlic and onion wedge on a foil-lined sheet pan for 6–8 minutes, flip, and broil 4–6 minutes more, until blistered and blackened in patches and the tomatillos have slumped. Peel the garlic and blend everything with the cilantro, lime juice and 3/4 tsp salt until slightly chunky. Cool; refrigerate up to 5 days.
6. Heat the oven to 400°F and line two sheet pans with parchment (skip if frying). Lay the thawed discos on a lightly floured counter. Working with a few at a time, place a scant 2 1/2 tablespoons of cold picadillo slightly off-center on each disc, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border — resist overfilling, which is the main cause of blowouts.
7. Brush the border lightly with egg wash, fold the disc over into a half-moon, and press out any air as you seal. Press the rim firmly with your fingers, then crimp: either roll the edge over on itself in overlapping folds (repulgue) or press all the way around with the tines of a fork. Set the sealed empanadas on the sheet pans and chill 15 minutes — cold pastry holds its shape.
8. To bake: brush the tops with egg wash, cut one small steam vent in each with the tip of a knife, and bake at 400°F for 22–26 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until deeply golden and firm on the bottom. To fry: heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 360°F and fry 3–4 at a time, without venting, for 2–3 minutes per side until blistered and golden; drain on a rack, not paper.
9. Let the empanadas rest 5 minutes — the filling is molten straight out of the oven or oil. Serve warm with the tomatillo salsa verde for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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