Beef Empanadillas with Avocado Crema

During my time living and working in Rincon, Puerto Rico, I enjoyed sampling the local pinchos along the beach, which inspired me to create these tasty empanadillas. Filled with picadillo - a flavorful blend of ground beef and spices that’s a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine - these empanadillas are seasoned with sofrito, sazon, and adobo for a delicious depth of flavor. To complement the savory filling, I’ve added a smooth avocado crema to add rich texture and refreshing contract to make each bite balanced and delicious. This beloved dish brings a taste of the islands to your table, perfect for sharing with friends and family.

Servings: 8 to 10

Special Equipment: Blender or food processor, Microplane, Squeeze bottle (optional)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground beef

• 2 medium avocados

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 2 cups AP flour

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 tablespoons Sofrito*

• 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning*

• 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning*

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 jar passata

• 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 2 limes

• 1 cup neutral oil

Note If you live in NYC, I highly recommend Carib Food Market (in Crown Heights) to source quality Caribbean ingredients!

Method:

1. Prepare the ingredients

   Wash and dry the fresh produce. Remove the core and seeds from the pepper; small dice. Small dice the onion. Grate the garlic into a paste. Halve the limes. Pick the cilantro leaves from the stems; roughly chop. Halve and deseed the avocado; remove the flesh. Roughly chop the olives.

2. Form & rest the dough

   Add the flour, melted butter, egg yolks, salt and 1/2 cup of water to a bowl and mix until combined and a ball begins to form. Transfer from the bowl to a well-floured surface and knead with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.

3. Cook the picadillo filling

   Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a pan. Add the diced onions, peppers and season with salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the and let cook for a minute or two before adding the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart into small pieces and season with salt. Add sazon, adobo, bay leaves, tomato sauce, olives, and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cover partially with a lid; let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Taste then season with salt if desired.

4. Make the avocado crema

   Add the avocado, garlic paste, sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, and a big pinch of salt to a blender (or food processor). Puree until smooth and creamy; add water until the sauce has a drizzly consistency. Taste then season with salt if desired.

5. Roll & stuff the dough

   Remove the dough from the fridge and bring back to room temperature. Dust a clean surface with flour and divide the dough into equally-sized balls (roughly 8 to 10). Using a floured rolling pin, roll the balls out into flat, round discs. Spoon the picadillo filling over half of each disc, fold the empty dough over top and pinch together with a fork.

6. Fry the empanadillas

   In a shallow pan, heat the neutral oil over high heat. Once a small piece of flour sizzles when added to the oil, add the empanadillas in batches and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to absorb any excess oil. Immediately season with a sprinkle of salt.

7. Finish & serve

   Serve the empanadillas hot and top with a drizzle of the avocado crema and garnish with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!