Venezuelan turnovers — crisp golden empanadas made with cornmeal masa and filled with seasoned beef, peppers and capers, then fried. A beloved snack, lovely on their own or with dips.
- 450g Ground Beef
- Pinch Pepper
- Pinch Ground Cumin
- 1 cup Onion
- 1/2 cup Green Pepper
- 1/2 cup Red Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 cup Capers
- 1 Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 Can Sazon
- 2 Yellow Masarepa
- For frying Vegetable Oil
Video
Preparation
- Season the meat with adobo. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and cook the meat until no longer pink. Stir in the onion, peppers, garlic, capers, tomato sauce and Sazón. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes, then cool.
- The prepared dough should be moist and hold together without sticking to your fingers. Start with about ½ cup of dough and roll into a ball between your palms. Working on a sheet of non-stick parchment, form the ball into a 5-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on one half of the circle and, using the parchment, fold the dough over to form a semi-circle. To seal and trim the edges, press the lip of an inverted bowl over the patty. Repeat for all the empanadas.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat ½ inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Cook the empanadas in batches, turning once or twice until lightly browned, then drain on paper towel. Don't overcrowd the skillet or let the oil get too hot.
