Ground Beef Empanadas Recipe

For the Filling

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the potatoes, and boil for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Make sure you don't overcook the potatoes, as they cook fast and will easily fall apart.
2. Meanwhile, mix the beef, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl using your hands. Reserve.
3. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Place the hot potatoes in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomato, and salt to taste, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the reserved ground beef mixture and break it up with the wooden spoon. Cook until the beef is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with a touch of salt and pepper to taste.
4. Turn the heat off and add the mashed potatoes into the skillet. Mix until the meat and potatoes are well combined. Reserve until the mixture has cooled completely and you are ready to stuff your empanadas.

For the Empanadas Dough

1. In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, corn flour, and salt. Add the melted butter and incorporate with a fork. Add the yogurt and mix again. At this point you will have flour that has not been incorporated into the wet ingredients. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and using your hands, incorporate the water until a smooth ball forms.
2. Divide the dough into two pieces. Reserve one piece in a bowl covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper, depending on the size of empanadas you choose to make.
3. With one piece at a time, on a floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, pressing from the center out until it reaches a 3 mm to 6 mm (1/8 to 1/4-inch) thickness. Using a round cookie cutter, 7 or 10 cm (3- or 4-inch) diameter, press down on the dough, making sure the cutter goes all the way through. Make sure to cut the discs very close to one another to make the best use of the dough.
4. Place the discs on the prepared baking sheet and cover with the damp kitchen towel you used to cover the dough.
5. Form a ball with the leftover pieces of dough and roll out again. Repeat the same steps for cutting out the dough.
6. You should have 30 to 32 discs if you used a 7 cm (3-inch) cutter, or 16 discs if you used a 10 cm (4-inch) cutter.

Assembling the Empanadas

1. Use 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling for 7 cm (3-inch) round empanadas and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons for 10 cm (4-inch) empanadas.
2. To seal the empanadas, fold the dough over the filling (you will now have a half-moon shape) and seal the edges by pressing the dough with your fingers. If you're having a hard time sealing the edges, you can brush the inside edges with egg (1 egg, beaten) - it will act as a glue for the empanadas. You can also use a fork to help seal the edges; just press the tines against the edges.
3. If cooking right away, transfer the empanadas to the freezer for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can either bake or fry your empanadas.

Cook the Empanadas

For Baking

1. Preheat the oven ro 180 ºC (375 ºF) for smaller empanadas and 200 ºC (400 ºF) for larger ones.
2. If you want your empanadas to have a nice golden finish, brush them with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with a few drops of water)
3. Bake until golden, 18 to 25 minutes.

For Frying

1. Heat the oil (approximately 1 liter /4 cups) to 180 ºC 350 ºF in a Dutch oven, using a deep-fry thermometer. Line a large platter with paper towels and set aside. The oil should bubble when you add the empanadas.
2. Fry in small batches until they are golden brown on each side. Don't overcrowd the pot, and if any of the empanadas break and leak, immediately remove them from the oil.
3. Place the fried empanadas on the prepared platter to drain any excess oil.