# Beef Empanadas



## sqwib (Sep 18, 2013)

*September 14th, 2013*

 _Beef Empanadas_

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First off I want to start off by giving credit where credit is due.
A fellow food enthusiast at Smoked Meat.com, posted this recipe and after reading his post and viewing the incredible photos I was hooked. It reminded me of one of my favorite dinners at Chi Chi's, beef tacos, they bring out a piping hot Cast Iron Skillet with the peppers, onions and beef sizzling away on the skillet, with that you got 5 soft wraps, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream, I'm not 100 percent sure it has been a while.
 
Saturday afternoon I showed the post to my lovely wife Laura and said, "what do you think about these for dinner", well it only took a quick glance at the pictures and she said, "ABSOLUTELY"!

This was posted by *Vermin 99 on another forum* titled _*Empanadas, Philly Cheeseteak Style*._
 

I pretty much followed his recipe with only a few slight variations.
 

Although the meat was grilled on a sear station I posted this under Cooking With Cast Iron, because the beef can be CI cooked at high heat.
 
So what is an Empanada?

Well this is the short version of what an Empanada is, _a Spanish or Latin American pastry turnover filled with a variety of savory ingredients and baked or fried_.

So lets get started,

A lot of this was all going on the same time so I will try to sort the pics so they make sense as a recipe.
 

We decide to use a Flank Steak, "London broil", YEAH! I know, "London broil" is a method of cooking not a type of meat, HEY don't blame me, blame the butchers.
OK, where was I, Oh yeah, the Flank Steak is sliced about a quarter inch thick against the grain then marinated at room temperature for about an hour in Teriyaki sauce.







 
As the "Flank Steak" was marinating, I prepped the veggies, Orange Peppers, Red Peppers, Beef, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Smoked Jalapeno's and Onion, then fried the peppers and onions in a extremely hot Cast Iron Skillet with some Crisco until the veggies would burn slightly.







 
Oh forgot the mushrooms.







 
A few minutes before the meat was tossed on the grill I added a modest teaspoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning (I don't know why this spice gets such a bum rap, because I love it).
The meat was placed on the grill directly over the sear station, I wanted a char on the meat, this could have been done in the skillet.

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You can see by the photo below, exactly where the sear station is located. I really should have done this in two batches as you can see the outer pieces did not char like the center pieces. I wanted the heat really, really hot so I could get the char without drying out the meat.

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We had picked up some Pillsbury refrigerated dough and frozen pizza dough because Laura thought that the bread would not thaw quick enough.
I really wanted to use the pizza dough, so I quick thawed it in warm water and rewarmed the water as it got cold. Done this for about an hour then coated a bowl with olive oil and tossed the dough in and coated the top with olive oil. Worked great!

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Laura working on the pizza dough.
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Then the Pillsbury refrigerated dough.








Onions are done







 


Peppers are done








Mushrooms are done, added a little bit of soy to the mushrooms, would have like to of added a little bit of vermouth, but did not think of it until later.








Beef is removed from the grill and will rest a few minutes, then the beef is sliced. You can see that the beef is still moist.







SQWIBS Empanada had the following, _Orange Peppers, Red Peppers, Onions, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Smoked Jalapenos, Beef, Mushrooms, American cheese, and Provolone cheese._
 

Smoked Jalapenos and sun dried tomatoes. Both from the garden.








Beef is added.







 

Peppers are added.






 

Onions.






 
The assembly line.







Mushrooms.






 

Provolone and American cheese. I find that using American cheese in a recipe like this really gives some flavor to the bread, we always have the American cheese up against the bread.






 

Then everything is wrapped and sealed.






 













 









Sprayed the top with cooking spray. I suggested egg whites or butter but the wife unit said, I'll just spray them".







 


Into the oven at 400°F.







 






 







Since everything was cooked already, we pulled these from the oven when the crust was just golden brownt, just let them rest ten minutes or so before slicing or biting into one.






 






 






 






 








Whoa! That's HOT, lets try some sour cream!







OK, it's time to critique.

I just had another Empanada for lunch while I was writing this article, so I'm gonna get some thoughts down while the taste is still on my mind.
 

*Dough:* We rolled out the dough fairly thin as seen in the last few pictures, you can make the dough thicker for a more roll like bite. The pizza dough was slightly better, flavor wise, than the Pillsbury refrigerated dough, as far as the texture goes they were surprisingly fairly similar, with the Pillsbury refrigerated dough being a bit more tender, but I prefer the flavor of the pizza dough over the Pillsbury refrigerated dough which is a bit sweeter than the pizza dough. However it's nice to know that you can use these Pillsbury refrigerated doughs in a pinch... quick and easy!
 

*Cheese:* The American cheese added a good bit of flavor to the bread and blended well with the other ingredients. The provolone added some texture to the ingredients and sort of held everything together.
 

*Veggies: *Slicing the veggies fairly thick really make a difference because you don't get a bunch of flavors mixed up, you actually get to taste the individual ingredients, which I think is pretty awesome.

Charring the veggies a bit, is the way to go, the veggies are very sweet and tender but not over the top. 
 

*Mushrooms: *Adding a bit of soy to the mushrooms during the last few minutes in the skillet adds a nice flavor, I would have like to added a bit of vermouth as well.
 

*Beef:* Marinating the beef in Teriyaki is a must it helps with achieving that slight char on the beef as it adds a great flavor.
 

*Montreal Steak seasoning:* As i said before, I'm not sure why this spice gets such a bum rap on some of my frequented forums but it definitely gives the beef a bit of a boost and really makes the beef pop.

*Overall:* WOW! Talk about a party in your mouth! The flavors were incredible, what was nice was the clean bite, everything was so tender that you did not pull all the stuffing out when taking a bite.
 

OK now onto the Empanada with the jalapeno's and sun-dried tomatoes. How was it? It was extremely spicy, I think 6 jalapenos is a bit much, *WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!*
Anyhow, I really enjoyed the hint of sun-dried tomatoes, but think I will tone the jalapeno peppers down to maybe one or two!

It was hot but very good, I cooled it down a bit with some sour cream.
 

I was a bit surprised that everyone liked them, especially my son.
 







 

This is definitely a keeper and there's no need for improvement with this recipe. My only suggestion would be to, double up on what you think you will need, one of these is filling but they are so good, you will be tearing apart the refrigerator later on looking for leftovers!


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## shoneyboy (Sep 18, 2013)

It's lunch time and this is just making it harder to decide what I want to eat for lunch........Great post....... ShoneyBoy


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## chef willie (Sep 18, 2013)

Nicely done with the tutorial Squib, as always...very detailed so even a caveman could do it. I prefer a baked rather than a fried Empanada just because I'm watching the arteries, not a culinary opinion. Making something your kids will eat is very rewarding....nothing worse than slaving for a few hours making something out of the ordinary and the young'un wants a hot pocket instead....LOL. Good job....Willie


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## bad santa (Sep 18, 2013)

Good job on the tutorial and pics, I love empanadas. I make 'em with left over brisket, pulled pork, chicken etc. since they are so versatile with what you can use to stuff them with. Thanks for sharing the great pics with us.


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## smokinhusker (Sep 18, 2013)

Those look outstanding as I eat my leftover smoked meatballs and spaghetti (right now the Empanada looks way better)!


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## kathrynn (Sep 18, 2013)

Yummmmmmm

Kat


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## migraine (Sep 18, 2013)

OMG, those look good.

My kids and all their friends love empanadas.

I've got to try your mix of meat/veggies.

My wife is from Ecuador and they are a main staple.  But that region, they fry them instead.  Other counties like Argentina and Chile tend to bake theirs.

Making your own dough is simple.

My favorite is smoked salmon(or crab) and cream cheese.  Seasonings are salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and green onion.  Another is shredded chicken baked in a mojo criollo marinade with onions and peppers.  Just make sure the filling is drained well.  Just a simple shredded jack cheese and lightly grilled onions are good, too.

With the frying technique, make sure you remove as much air inside to prevent them from inflating which causes the dough to split and the ingredients leak or oil gets inside.


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## disco (Sep 18, 2013)

You guys have to cut this out. I only have so many years of smoking left. If you keep posting great looking food with clear instructions and great Qview like this, my list of smoking projects to try will keep growing and I will never catch up.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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Great looking food, qview and wonderful instructions.

Thanks for posting this.

Disco


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 18, 2013)

What a fantastic tutorial with professional-quality pictures!!  I'll definitely be giving this a try soon.  Thanks so much for an off-the-chart fabulous post!  :Looks-Great:

Have a great night!
Clarissa


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## sqwib (Sep 19, 2013)

Shoneyboy said:


> It's lunch time and this is just making it harder to decide what I want to eat for lunch........Great post....... ShoneyBoy


Thanks


Chef Willie said:


> Nicely done with the tutorial Squib, as always...very detailed so even a caveman could do it. I prefer a baked rather than a fried Empanada just because I'm watching the arteries, not a culinary opinion. Making something your kids will eat is very rewarding....nothing worse than slaving for a few hours making something out of the ordinary and the young'un wants a hot pocket instead....LOL. Good job....Willie


Yep and at least with these you know what you put into it.


Bad Santa said:


> Good job on the tutorial and pics, I love empanadas. I make 'em with left over brisket, pulled pork, chicken etc. since they are so versatile with what you can use to stuff them with. Thanks for sharing the great pics with us.


Yep anything can go into these.


SmokinHusker said:


> Those look outstanding as I eat my leftover smoked meatballs and spaghetti (right now the Empanada looks way better)!


Whats wrong with spaghettis and meatballs? hell throw them in there with some provolone


KathrynN said:


> Yummmmmmm
> 
> Kat


Thanks Kat


migraine said:


> OMG, those look good.
> 
> My kids and all their friends love empanadas.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips, I like the sound of the shredded chicken... was going to do a similar recipe for my SQWIB Balls.


Disco said:


> You guys have to cut this out. I only have so many years of smoking left. If you keep posting great looking food with clear instructions and great Qview like this, my list of smoking projects to try will keep growing and I will never catch up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Disco, I hear ya! I have so many things to try that I would have to do 3 or 4 things every weekend for the next 20 years, not to mention the lack of funds.


SnorkelingGirl said:


> What a fantastic tutorial with professional-quality pictures!! I'll definitely be giving this a try soon. Thanks so much for an off-the-chart fabulous post!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you Clarissa, Looking forward to seeing your post!


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## Bearcarver (Sep 19, 2013)

OMG---That's freakin' Awesome !!!!

Too much work for me, but I could definitely help you eat some!!

You da Man, SQWIB !!!

Bear


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## muley951 (Sep 19, 2013)

This reminds me of Pasties, the recipe for Pasties came from Upper Michigan I can't wait to put this recipe together


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## kc5tpy (Sep 19, 2013)

Hello Squwib.  Great tutorial and some fine looking food.  Thought I might pass on a little history that I have learned since moving here to England.  A Cornish pasty is made with slightly different ingredients but the same basic idea.  The wives of the Cornish tin and coal miners came up with the pasty idea here.  The original reason they came up with the idea is because as you can imagine these poor guys were covered in coal dust.  The baked pastry allowed them to eat a meal with their hands and toss the bit of pastry with coal dust all over it.  A meal and a disposable container all in one.  The wives also made one end savory and one end sweet.  They had meat etc. in one end and pie filling like apple the other with a pastry divider between.  You got your meal and you dessert all in one easy to handle container.  It is known that the Cornish miner immigrated to the U.S. , South America and Mexico to work in the mines.  The culinary debate as you might well guess is which came first; pasty or empanada; a question we will probably never be able to answer.  Is interesting that the same type, same looking dish shows up in two very different places in the world.  Just thought I'd pass on that useless info should someone be interested.  Great looking meal.  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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## Bearcarver (Sep 19, 2013)

Pasties were popular in my day, but I don't think many wear them nowadays.

Just Sayin'

Bear


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## redneck69 (Sep 19, 2013)

now those are making me real HUNGRY...great presentation...


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## sqwib (Sep 20, 2013)

Bearcarver said:


> Pasties were popular in my day, but I don't think many wear them nowadays.
> 
> Just Sayin'
> 
> Bear


Before Mrs. Bear I hope


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## sqwib (Sep 20, 2013)

KC5TPY said:


> Hello Squwib.  Great tutorial and some fine looking food.  Thought I might pass on a little history that I have learned since moving here to England.  A Cornish pasty is made with slightly different ingredients but the same basic idea.  The wives of the Cornish tin and coal miners came up with the pasty idea here.  The original reason they came up with the idea is because as you can imagine these poor guys were covered in coal dust.  The baked pastry allowed them to eat a meal with their hands and toss the bit of pastry with coal dust all over it.  A meal and a disposable container all in one. *  The wives also made one end savory and one end sweet.  They had meat etc. in one end and pie filling like apple the other with a pastry divider between.  You got your meal and you dessert all in one easy to handle container.*  It is known that the Cornish miner immigrated to the U.S. , South America and Mexico to work in the mines.  The culinary debate as you might well guess is which came first; pasty or empanada; a question we will probably never be able to answer.  Is interesting that the same type, same looking dish shows up in two very different places in the world.  Just thought I'd pass on that useless info should someone be interested.  Great looking meal.  Keep Smokin!
> 
> Danny


Danny, thanks for the info, I have been researching this and it's pretty interesting, such as the pasty, dating back to the 1300's

You do know that you *planted a seed,* and my mind has been racing since I read this post yesterday... off to the store.


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## driedstick (Sep 20, 2013)

Very nice, they sure look good,


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## mbogo (Sep 20, 2013)

My God, those look fantastic!  Even if they tasted like crap, your photography puts them over the top- and I'm sure they were every bit as good as you say...     This IS Food Porn!!!!


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## shinny (Jan 18, 2014)

Finished calzone.JPG



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Finished beef.JPG



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finished ribs.JPG



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Making dough.JPG



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Yum.....I know what I'm having for dinner on Monday.

I followed your lead. I made some with left over ribs, beef and a pizza calzone for my youngest. I made the dough too.

Thanks for the idea, it was a big hit


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## sqwib (Jan 23, 2014)

Looks Great, thanks for sharing.


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## floyd (Jan 24, 2014)

Squib, as usual you are remarkable. The tutorial and the pix were so great, I may try these instead of the brisket chili I have planned for our Super Bowl Party! 

Keep these coming!

/s/ Floyd


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## blacklab (Dec 20, 2014)

Well looks like I missed dinner again lol. That just looks freaking delicious! Yes I will be making this in the very very near future. Thanks for sharing


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## dirtsailor2003 (Dec 20, 2014)

Yumm! I'm not sure how I missed this one but I did! Glad it was bumped up!!! Nice cook!


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