Cuban Beef and Potato Empanadas

Ingredients:

• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ cup yellow onion, small dice (¼˝)
• ⅓ cup bell pepper, small dice (¼˝)
• 1 teaspoon Litehouse® freeze-dried garlic
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ pound Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes, small dice (¼˝)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 2 tablespoons sliced green olives
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 1 teaspoon Litehouse® freeze-dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon Litehouse® freeze-dried chives
• ¼ cup chicken stock or water
• 1 package (10 pcs.) store-bought frozen empanada disks, thawed
• Water to seal dough disks
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat, then add ground beef.
2. Cook beef until only a little pink remains, 5–6 minutes, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks. Drain and return to the pan.
3. Add diced onions, diced bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and cumin. Cook 6–8 minutes until onions and peppers are softened.
4. Add diced Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes, tomato paste, raisins, sliced green olives, capers, parsley, chives and stock or water.
5. Lower heat and cook, covered, until potatoes are soft, 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set mixture aside to cool slightly.
6. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the empanada dough. Wet the edges with a little water, then fold over and press to seal, pushing out any air trapped inside. Lightly press with a fork to seal closed. Repeat until all 10 empanada disks are filled. Cover with clean kitchen towel as you go, so the dough doesn’t dry out.
7. In a deep pan, add enough oil to come 2˝ up the side of the pan, leaving at least 2˝ at the top. Heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
8. Carefully lower empanada into hot oil and fry for 4–6 minutes, until deep golden brown and crispy. Fry 2 or 3 at a time, make sure the level of the oil is at least 1˝ from the top while frying.
9. Remove from oil and place on a layer of paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Safety precaution - When placing empanadas into hot oil, carefully lower them into the oil moving away from you, not toward you. If the oil splashes, it will go away from your body, not toward you, thus avoiding a burn.

Do not fry more than 2 or 3 at a time. This will lower the temperature of the oil and make them soggy.