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Beef Empanadas and Yuca Empanadas with Cecina
Two styles of empanadas: classic baked beef empanadas with a buttery shortcrust pastry featuring cuadril beef, onions, raisins, boiled egg and olives; and fried yuca empanadas filled with cecina (smoked pork) inspired by Peruvian jungle cuisine.
Ingredients
Beef Empanada Dough
- 500 g All-purpose flour
- 180 g Vegetable shortening (Cold)
- 70 g Butter (Cold)
- 150 ml Water
- 60 g Sugar
- 20 g Powdered sugar (As needed for dusting) optional
- 8 g Salt
- 2 units Egg yolks
Beef Filling
- 400 g Cuadril beef (rump steak) (Diced into 4-5mm cubes)
- 200 g Onion (Roughly chopped (matio cut))
- 10 g Garlic (Minced)
- 10 g Aji panca paste
- 100 ml Dark beef stock
- 40 g Raisins
- 3 g Cumin
- 5 g Salt and pepper (To taste)
- 30 ml Vegetable oil
Beef Filling Garnish
- 2 units Hard-boiled eggs (Sliced)
- 8 units Black olives
- 1 unit Egg wash (Beaten)
Cecina Filling
- 250 g Cecina (smoked pork) (Diced small (macedoine))
- 100 g Onion (Finely diced)
- 15 g Garlic (Minced)
- 20 g Aji dulce (sweet pepper) (Finely diced)
- 5 g Aji panca powder
- 2 g Cumin
Frying
- 500 ml Vegetable oil (for frying)
Yuca Empanada Dough
- 500 g Cooked yuca (yellow cassava) (Boiled with salt and sugar, then mashed/pressed)
- 1 unit Egg
- 15 ml Vegetable oil
- 5 g Salt
- 30 g Flour (as needed) (As needed for texture)
Steps
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1Season cuadril beef cubes with salt, cumin, and pepper. Saute in a non-stick pan at medium-low heat with a little oil, browning gently like a sudado (sweat). Reserve the meat when cooked.Tip: Coat each piece with a thin film of oil before cooking for even browning. Low heat builds layered flavor.~10 min
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2In the same pan with residual juices, cook the onion with more cumin, salt, and pepper. When caramelized lightly, add garlic and aji panca paste. Deglaze with beef stock.Tip: Use the caramelized fond from the meat to build deep flavor in the onion mixture.~10 min
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3Return the beef and raisins to the pan. Let everything simmer briefly until juicy but not soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool the filling completely before assembling.Tip: The stock rehydrates the raisins and creates a juicy filling. Stay hydrated when tasting - your palate perceives differently when dehydrated.~5 min
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4Make the dough: Pulse flour, sugar, salt, cold shortening, and cold butter in a food processor until sandy. Add water and egg yolks, pulse just until integrated (do not knead). Wrap between parchment sheets and refrigerate 15 minutes.Tip: This is a broken/shortcrust dough - over-kneading develops gluten and makes it tough. Keep fats cold.~20 min
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5Roll out 90g portions of dough into thin circles. Fill with beef mixture, a slice of hard-boiled egg, and an olive. Fold and seal with a repulgue (decorative crimping). Brush with beaten egg.Tip: Roll from center outward, rotating the dough. Remove excess air when folding.~20 min
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6Bake at 180C on a silicone mat or parchment paper for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.~20 min
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7For yuca empanadas: Saute diced cecina until browned, add finely diced onion, garlic, aji dulce, cumin, and aji panca powder. Deglaze with beef stock. Cool filling.Tip: Taste the cecina first - it is already salty, so adjust seasoning accordingly.~10 min
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8Knead the mashed yuca with egg, a little oil, salt, and flour as needed. Portion into 15-20g balls. Flatten between plastic sheets, fill with cecina mixture, seal with a fork.Tip: Unlike the shortcrust, yuca dough can be kneaded well. The yuca's natural elasticity helps prevent breaking during frying.~15 min
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9Deep fry the yuca empanadas until golden and crispy. Serve with aji de cocona sauce.Tip: Make them small rather than large - they fry more evenly.~8 min
Nutrition (per serving)
380
Calories
18g
Protein
38g
Carbs
18g
Fat
2g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Empanadas are deeply rooted in Latin American cuisine with Spanish origins. Giacomo learned this recipe on the show 'El Gran Chef Famosos' and describes it as a beginner-friendly dish. The yuca empanada with cecina is an homage to chef Nelly Rossinelli and represents the Amazonian culinary tradition of Peru.