EMPANADA ROUNDS RECIPES

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage and oil. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon into small bits, until sausage is cooked through and golden, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs to the skillet, and cook, stirring slowly, until eggs are just barely set, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly while preparing the dough. Unroll one piece of the pie dough. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out 5 dough rounds. Repeat with second pie dough, then re-roll scraps from both to make 2 more rounds for 12 rounds total.  Working with one round at a time, use a pastry brush or your fingers to gently brush the edge with the beaten egg. Place a heaping tablespoon of egg filling in center and top with a bit of cheese. Fold dough round in half to cover filling; press edge together to seal. Use a fork to crimp edges together. Repeat with remaining filling and dough. Lightly brush tops of empanadas with beaten egg and place evenly spaced on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.