Like fried lumpia (see page 87), these savory-sweet turnovers are beloved Filipino snacks. Empanadas in the Philippines are usually deep-fried, as they are in other places, such as Argentina, where the Spanish pastry has also been adopted. Filipino-American cooks, however, mostly wrap theirs in a short pastry crust and bake them, with delicious results. If you’ve never had Asian pastries like those in this section, this is a good one to start with because it is easy to prepare and love. For richer, deep-fried empanadas, swap the filling below for the one used in the Shrimp, Pork, and Jicama Turnovers (page 118) or Curry Puffs (page 125) recipe. Feel free to substitute other ground meat for the beef.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 pastries

　　

Dough

8 3/4 ounces (1 3/4 cups) bleached all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon sugar (use 1 tablespoon for a stronger savory-sweet contrast)

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　3 tablespoon shortening, chilled

　　1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

　　1 large egg yolk combined with 5 tablespoons ice water

　　

Filling

1 tablespoon canola oil

　　2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion

　　1 clove garlic, minced

　　3 ounces ground beef (preferably chuck)

　　1/3 cup diced sweet potato (orange-flesh variety preferred)

　　1/4 cup water

　　2 teaspoons light (regular) soy sauce

　　1 pinch of salt

　　1/8 teaspoon black pepper

　　2 tablespoons raisins

　　1 large egg, separated

　　All-purpose flour, for dusting

　　

Step 1

To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the work bowl and pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. Add the shortening and process for 10 seconds to combine. Sprinkle in the butter pieces and pulse 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs. Break apart pieces larger than a pea. Transfer to a bowl. (Alternatively, put the ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry blender or your fingers in a quick rubbing motion to combine the ingredients.) Work in the egg mixture, one-third at a time, using a rubber spatula to fold, mash, and press the ingredients together after each addition. When all the liquid has been incorporated, you should be able to press the dough into a ragged mass with the spatula. If not, work in additional ice water by the teaspoon. Transfer the dough to a work surface (no flouring is needed) and very gently knead the dough into a ball. Pat the dough ball into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and sweet smelling and the garlic begins to turn blond. Add the beef, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir and mash the meat into small pieces. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until most of the meat has begun to brown. Add the sweet potato, water, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir, lower the heat slightly, and cover. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the potato is nearly tender; there should still be some liquid remaining. Uncover, add the raisins, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until the potato is tender and there is very little liquid left. Remove from the heat and use the spoon or spatula to mash half of the potato and make the mixture cohere a bit. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool completely before using. You should have about 3/4 cup. (The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Return it to room temperature before using.)

　　

Step 3

If the dough was refrigerated for longer than 1 hour, let it sit at room temperature until malleable. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly beat the egg white and keep it nearby.

　　

Step 4

Unwrap the dough and put it on a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze on the dough to elongate it. Roll it into a 12-inch log. Use a knife to cut the log into 12 pieces. (Halve the log first to easily cut even-size pieces. The tapered end pieces should be cut a little longer than the rest.) Loosely cover the dough pieces with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying.

　　

Step 5

Work with half of the dough pieces at time, keeping the others loosely covered. Use an Asian-style wooden rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a circle 3 1/2 inches in diameter and just a bit thicker in the center than at the rim. Use a minimum amount of flour to dust your work surface and rotate the circle. Roll from the center outward as you would a basic dumpling wrapper (see page 24). Holding a wrapper in one hand, use a spoon to position about 1 tablespoon of filling slightly off-center on the wrapper, pressing down very gently and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Brush egg white on half of the rim and then bring up the other half to meet it and close. Press with your fingers to create a half-moon (see page 26), sealing the rim well and creating a 1/2-inch brim. For extra security, use your thumb and index fingers to form a rope edge (see page 51) or press with the tines of a fork. Place the turnover, pretty rope edge facing up, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, spacing them about 2 inches apart, before working on the second half of dough. Assembled empanadas can be frozen on the baking sheet until hard (about 2 hours), transferred to a zip-top freezer bag, and kept frozen for up to 1 month; partially thaw before brushing with egg and baking.

　　

Step 6

Lightly beat the egg yolk and brush it on the turnovers, taking care to cover the spine. Bake 1 baking sheet at a time for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Put the baking sheet on a rack and cool for about 10 minutes before eating. Empanadas are great at room temperature, too.

　　

lazy day tip

Step 7

Use a high-quality prepared pie crust when you have no time to make dough from scratch.

　　Reprinted with permission from Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More © 2009 by Andrea Nguyen, Ten Speed Press.Buy the full book from Amazon or from Bookshop.