When I went to Argentina, ı was very excited to eat the food that has been one of my top 5 foods. That is the empanada. 

There are many variations of the food in Latam. Many countries have their own style. I had some of them in various places. The one I had in Buenos Aires was the best. That was from a famous chef, who has been trying to perfect the recipe he got from his family.  This one is not fried; it is a baked one. It is called Argentinian Beef Empanadas.

See what the ingredients are: 

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 
• 2 lb. ground beef 
• Two medium onions, chopped
• Two small red bell peppers, seeded, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 tsp. sugar
• ½ cup raisins
• Three packages (12 each) Puff Pastry Dough for Empanadas (you can find these in the supermarkets in London)
• ½ cup pitted green olives, chopped

How to make empanada at home

Cook the beef in the olive oil until its brown, but do not overcook it. Eight minutes will be enough to cook. Transfer the beef in another cup and leave the fat in the pan. Cook the onion and bell peppers with olive oil in the same pan. Season with salt and pepper, do not overcook the onions as well. Add the other spices, chicken broth, and beef. Add the sugar and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Cook until the juiciness is gone. It takes about 20 minutes for the beef to cook in the right way. Take it from the heat and add the raisins. Cover it up and put it in the fridge, and wait around 4 hours.

Preheat your oven to 200°. Take out the dough and wait until its room temperature. Put two tablespoons of beef in the middle of the dough, put some olives, fold the dough and pinch the edges to seal and use a fork to crimp the edges. You will have a perfect empanada shape. Repeat until you use all of the dough. You will have around 15 empanadas. Place them in a tray and put them in the oven. 

You need to place the empanadas in atray 1cm apart. They will puff as they cook. If your oven is small, you can use two trays. You can also use an oven sheet to prevent the empanadas from sticking to the tray. 

Bake empanadas for around 30 minutes. They shall be golden brown. The edges shall fall slightly darker. When they are ready, take them out of the oven and enjoy! 

You can also prepare empanadas and freze them. You can keep unbaked empanadas in the freezer for three months and three days in the fridge. I make many empanadas and put them in the freezer bags. When ı am ready to cook, take them out, and bake them! 

Enjoy your effect empanadas and comment below if you have anything to say!