Empanada-Style Spiced Beef Buns
with Cilantro Dipping Sauce & Tomato-Pepper Salad
Cooking time
40 minutes
Servings
2/4
Calories
990 /serving
Calzone, pierogi, dumpling, empanada. There’s a good reason that cultures the world over have found unique ways of stuffing flavourful meat and veg into yummy pockets. Tonight, you’ll make these comforting empanada-style pockets from scratch, filling the dough with wickedly tasty smoky spiced beef and baking them to golden perfection. The side salad of tomato, sweet peppers and cilantro adds colour to the plate, while the tart, creamy cilantro sauce ups the flavour in each bite.
We will send you:
- 285g Ground beef
- 140g Sweet peppers
- 1 Bunch of cilantro
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 Tomato
- 15ml Red wine vinegar
- 15ml Tomato paste
- 30g Vegetable demi-glace
- 43ml Sour cream
- 454g Dough
- 8.5g Mellow Yellow Turmeric spice blend (sea salt, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic flakes, coriander, paprika, oregano, black peppercorns, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric)
Contains: Eggs, Milk, Sulphites, Wheat
You will need:
Large pan
Sheet pan
Olive oil
Oil
Salt & pepper
1 or 2 Eggs
Parchment paper
Basting brush
Total Fat
38 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Sodium
1460 mg
Total Carbs
111 g
Sugars
7 g
Protein
50 g
Fibres
7 g
Preparation
Cook the beef
Set the dough aside to come up to room temperature. Mince the garlic. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Add ⅔ of the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the ground beef*; season with ⅔ of the spice blend and generously season with S&P. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, until cooked through. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, until dark red. Add the demi-glace, ½ the red wine vinegar and ¼ cup water (double for 4 portions). Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened.
Prepare the buns
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Divide the dough into 4 balls of equal size (double for 4 portions). On a lightly oiled work surface, roll each ball into 5-inch rounds (or spread the dough out with your fingers). Divide the beef filling between the rounds, leaving a 1-inch border free all around the edge. Fold one side of the dough up and over the filling and seal the edges together using a fork. Flip the filled buns to place them seam-sides down on a lined sheet pan drizzled with oil.
Bake the buns
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg (double for 4 portions) until smooth. Using a basting brush, coat each bun with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the buns with all but a pinch of the remaining spice blend. Bake, 12 to 15 minutes, until the buns are golden brown and cooked through.
Mise en place
While the buns bake, medium-dice the tomato. Core and medium-dice the sweet peppers. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and stems. In a small bowl, make the cilantro sauce by combining the sour cream, up to ½ the cilantro (to taste) and 1 tbsp water (double for 4 portions); season with the remaining spice blend and S&P to taste.
Make the tomato-pepper salad
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining red wine vinegar, as much remaining cilantro and garlic as you’d like (omit the garlic for a milder flavour), and 1 tbsp olive oil (double for 4 portions); season with S&P to taste. Add the tomato and sweet peppers; toss well.
Plate your dish
Divide the finished buns and tomato-pepper salad between your plates. Serve the cilantro sauce on the side as a dipping sauce for the buns. Bon appétit!
*Health Canada recommends cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 71°C.
