Ingredients
*Makes approximately 25
Filling
- 300 g beef fat (from the butcher), or unsalted butter
- 2 white onions, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 lb ribeye steak, finely chopped
- 2 potatoes, boiled, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bunchgreen onion, finely chopped, green parts only
- 4 hardboiled eggs, carefully peeled and chopped
Empanada Dough
- 5 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 C butter, unsalted, very cold, cut into cubes (2 sticks)
- 2 eggs, large size
- ½ C water, cold
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp water
Method
Empanada Dough
To the bowl of a food processor, add flour and salt, pulse to combine. Add butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add eggs and water to food processor and continue to pulse, scraping sides as needed. Pulse just until dough forms into a ball. Carefully turn dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and use floured hands to shape dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour to rest dough.
Empanadas
Preheat a high-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add beef fat or butter, white onion and bell pepper and sauté 1-2 minutes until softened, stirring constantly.Make a well in center of onions and peppers and add paprika, cumin and cayenne. Sauté for a minute to bloom spice flavours. Add chopped steak and sauté approximately 5 minutes until meat is golden brown in colour. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, add potatoes, green onions, and chopped hardboiled eggs to meat mixture and gently stir with rubber spatula to incorporate.
To assemble empanadas, roll dough onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Cut roughly 4-inch circles out of dough and fill each with 1-2 tablespoons of filling, leaving a border around perimeter for sealing. Use more or less filling, depending on size of your empanadas. Pinch and fold edges to seal (using a fork helps with this), and place formed empanadas onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour before baking to help dough hold its seal.
To cook, preheat oven to 350°C. Whisk together remaining egg yolk and water and brush onto tops of empanadas. Bake on prepared sheet for approximately 10-15 minutes until dough is golden brown. Serve hot and fresh out of the oven
Ingredients
- 1 Cup water
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 C fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 4 C fresh oregano, roughly chopped
- ¾ C fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- 5 C fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 1 C extra virgin oil
- ½ C + 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Method
Simmer water and salt in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Add chimichurri ingredients to amedium-sized bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and water mixture, stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate to marry flavours.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ C sea salt
- 1 ¼ C sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 3kg pork belly
- 1 ¼ C granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
- ¾ C butter, unsalted
- 1 piece cinnamon stick
- olive oil
Method
In a medium-sized bowl, combine salt, sugar and chopped garlic. Place pork belly into a nonreactive dish or bowl, cover with salt mixture making sure entire belly is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, remove pork belly from fridge and use paper towels to wipe off and discard curing mixture. Rinse pork belly with cold water, transfer to a plate and pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp paring knife to score skin side of the pork, being careful to slice into skin only (not down to the flesh). Preheat oven to 425°F with rack placed in the centre position.
Place pork belly skin-side-up into a baking dish slightly larger than the pork. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F and bake for an additional 2 hours.
While pork belly cooks, prepare apple puree. Add apples, butter, and cinnamon stick to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until apples are very soft. Remove cinnamon stick and use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree until smooth. Return puree to same saucepan for reheating before service.
To serve, slice pork belly into portions, reheat in oven or in a pan on the stove, and serve atop warmed apple puree.
