Venezuelan turnovers
Venezuelan empanadas: corn pockets fried around spiced beef.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Black pepper
- Ground cumin
- Bell pepper 0.5 cup
- Onion 1 cup
- Beef mince 450 g
- Capers 0.25 cup
- Garlic powder 1 tsp
- Passata 1 tin
- Polenta 2
- Sazón 1 tin
Method
- Season meat with Adobo.
- In skillet, heat oil on medium high.
- Cook meat until pink is gone.
- Stir in onion, pepper, garlic, alcaparras, tomato sauce and Sazón.
- Cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 20 minutes).
- Cool.
- Prepared dough should be moist and should hold together, but it should not stick to your fingers.
- Start with about ½ cup of dough and roll into a ball between palms of your hands.
- Working on a sheet of non-stick parchment paper, form the ball into a 5-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick.
- Place a generous tbsp. of filling on one half of circle and using parchment paper close dough over to form a semi-circle.
- To seal and trim edges of the empanada, press lip of inverted bowl over semi-circle shaped patty.
- Repeat for all the Empanadas.
- In large skillet on medium high, heat ½ inch of oil until hot but not smoking.
- Cook empanadas in batches, turning once or twice until lightly browned.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Do not over crowd skillet or let oil get too hot.