Beef Empanadas

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 batch empanada dough (see below)
1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To make the filling, warm the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, jalapenos, salt, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through (safe internal temperature of 160 degrees F) and the onions have softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, add the tomatoes and cilantro, and mix well to combine.
2. To form the empanadas, divide the dough into 12 equal balls. On a well-floured surface, flatten each to a disk and then roll with a rolling pin into 4 1/2-inch circles. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling into the circle, and brush the edges of the circle with the egg. Fold the dough around the filling to make a half-moon shape, and press the edges firmly to seal. cut two small slits in the top of each empanada, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers.

----------------------
Empanada Dough
----------------------

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled shortening, cut into cubes
4 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, 1/3 cup cold water
1 Tbsp white vinegar

Directions

1. In the work bowl of a food processor or a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, shortening, and butter. Pulse in the food processor, or use a pastry cutter if working by hand, until the mixture looks sandy and there are roughly pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine the egg, water, and vinegar; whisk to blend well. Drizzle over the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough comes together. Knead on a well-floured surface just enough to bring the dough together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: We fried ours instead of baking, mostly because I wanted to see if this dough recipe was closer to what I remembered eating in Paraguay than the Pumpkin Parmesan Empanadas we tried a few months ago. These empanadas are more traditional and I enjoyed them, but making them is a lot of work so this probably isn't something we will have very often.

Source: Kroger mymagazine sent to us in the mail.