- Rest the dough before rolling. Chill it for at least 1 hour so it rolls thin without shrinking and stays easier to work with. Roll each round to about 6 inches wide and roughly 1/8 inch thick.
- Cool the filling completely. Cook the picadillo until most of the liquid is gone, then let it cool to room temperature before assembling. Hot or wet filling will steam the dough and make sealing harder.
- Don't overfill. Fill each round with about 2 tablespoons of picadillo so the empanadas close cleanly and do not burst while frying.
- Press out the air. Fold the dough over, press out any trapped air, then moisten the edge and crimp firmly with a fork or empanada press. A double-crimp is worth it here if you are worried about leaks.
- Fry at 350 F. Keep the oil between 325 and 350 F in a heavy pot and leave about 4 inches of headroom at the top. Fry in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes until light golden and crisp.
- Drain on a rack. A rack keeps the crust crisp better than paper towels, and seasoning them while hot helps the salt stick.
- Freeze before frying if needed. You can assemble the empanadas, chill them briefly, then freeze them well wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before frying.
- Bake them if preferred. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 F for 18 to 22 minutes until deep golden instead of frying.
Venison Empanadas
Crisp, golden empanadas stuffed with a savory ground venison picadillo, olive, egg, herb, and warm spices. All wrapped in a tender, pie-style dough.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup cold water
For the Picadillo
- 1/2 pound lean ground venison
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon butter, (save for the end)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2/3 cup stock, (venison, veal or light beef)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 6 green olives, chopped
- 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries (raisins work as well)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cups vegetable oil or lard (for frying the empanadas)
Instructions
For the Dough
- Sift the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Cut the shortening/lard into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Adding 2 tablespoons at a time, knead in the water with your hands until a smooth dough is formed. Roll the dough into a round ball and then wrap in plastic-wrap. Refrigerate the dough at at least one hour or overnight before assembling the empanadas.
Make the Picadillo & Assemble the Empanadas
- Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the ground venison, onion and garlic, and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add the stock, cumin, cayenne, and paprika, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let this mixture cool to room temperature to let some of the liquid be absorbed. If it looks a little too watery, either strain before continuing to the next step, or simmer a few minutes longer.
- Divide the dough into 12 uniform sized 1 inch balls. Using either a torilla press or rolling pin, flatten the dough ball into a 6 inch circle that's around 1/8-inch thick. Mound about 2 tablespoons of the venison picadillo in the center of each round, and fold the dough over top to make a "half-moon" shape.
- Now it's time to seal the empanadas shut using either a fork to crimp the edges or an empanada press. If you're nervous about them leaking, you can roll the edges over before crimping with the fork.
Cook the Venison Empanadas
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 350F degrees, ensuring that you have at least 4 inches of room at the top so that the oil does not spill over after adding the empanadas.
- Fry the empanadas in batches until they are a light golden brown and have a crispy texture. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
NOTES
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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