Latin American Empanadas With Aji Sauce

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 lb ground beef or 1/2 lb lamb
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cups diced cooked potatoes or 2 cups frozen hash browns
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 scallions, chopped ( part only)
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 1 egg, mixed with 1/4 cup water for glaze
• 10 scallions
• 2 green serrano chilies or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup distilled vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• 2 add oil and work with your fingertips until the mixture becomes crumbly.
• 3 add water and knead until dough just comes together (do not overwork).
• 4 press the dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. refrigerate overnight or for at least 30 minutes.
• 5 heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring until lightly browned and fragrant (2 to 3 minutes).
• 6 transfer to a blender or spice mill and grind to a fine powder.
• 7 cook beef or lamb over medium-low heat, crumbling with a wooden spoon until no longer pink.
• 8 drain on paper towels and add onion.
• 9 cook until softened and add bell pepper and garlic.
• 10 when fragrant stir in tomato, cumin, broth, vinegar, potatoes, salt, ground pumpkin seeds, and beef.
• 11 cook for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce liquid.
• 12 fold in scallions and hard-boiled egg. let cool completely and refrigerate.
• 13 combine all ingredients for aji sauce and cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• 14 preheat oven to 350 and coat baking sheets with cooking spray.
• 15 on a well-floured surface, roll out one disk at a time to 1/8" thickness.
• 16 cut circles of dough using a 4 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. it will make 24 circles.
• 17 brush egg glaze around edges of the dough circles and place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle.
• 18 fold filled circles in half and press edges together and crimp with a fork.
• 19 place on the prepared baking sheets and brush egg glaze over empanada.
• 20 bake the empanadas until golden and crisp, switching the position of the pans midway, 55 to 65 minutes.
• 21 serve warm with aji sauce poured inside.