Tucumán-Style Knife-Cut Beef Empanadas

Method

1. Dough: dissolve the salt in the hot water and melt the lard into it. Pour it over the flour, stir with a spatula, then knead by hand for 6 min until smooth and as soft as an earlobe. Wrap in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 min.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 260 gLard (for the dough) 60 gHot water (about 60°C) 120 mlSalt (for the dough) ½ tsp

2. Cover the eggs with water in a 14 cm pot, bring to the boil over medium heat and cook for 10 min from when it boils, until hard. Cool them in cold water and peel.

   Add in this stepEggs (to hard-boil) 1

   medium heat

3. Trim the beef of sinew and thick fat and cut it with a knife into 5 mm cubes. It is much easier if you put the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes first. Chop the onion into 5 mm pieces. Slice the green onion, keeping the white and green parts separate.

4. Melt the frying lard in a 24 cm pan and cook the onion and the white part of the green onion over medium heat for 10 min. They should turn soft, translucent and sweet without browning.

   Add in this stepLard (for frying, or vegetable oil) 1½ tbspOnion 1Large green onion (or leek) 30 g

   medium heat

5. Turn the heat up to high heat, add the beef and cook for just 3 min. As soon as the red disappears from the outside, add the paprika, cumin, chili flakes, salt and stock, simmer for 2 min more and turn off the heat. Do not cook the meat through: it finishes in the oven and turns dry and tough if overcooked.

   Add in this stepBeef sirloin or rump, in one piece 240 gSweet paprika 1½ tspGround cumin ½ tspRed pepper flakes ¼ tspSalt (for the filling) ½ tspBeef stock 60 ml

   high heat

6. Spread the filling out on a tray, let the steam escape, then chill it in the fridge for 1 h until firm. The fat must set white so that it melts into juice in the oven. Once firm, mix in the green part of the green onion and the roughly chopped boiled eggs.

   Add in this stepLarge green onion (or leek) 30 g

7. Roll the dough 2–3 mm thick and cut out 6 rounds 12 cm across. Put 2 tbsp of filling in the middle of each, dampen the edge with a little water, fold into a half-moon and seal with a repulgue: fold the edge over itself in small pinches with your thumb to make a braided rim. This takes 18 min in total.

   Add in this stepNumber of empanadas (3 per serving) 6

8. Brush with egg wash and bake in a oven preheated to 220°C for 15 min, until small blisters appear and the pastry is deep golden. Up to 12 fit on one baking tray, so the baking time stays the same. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

   Add in this stepEgg for egg wash 1

   oven