Empanadas make the perfect party food, lunch treat or afternoon snack and best made in batches. This tasty traditional Spanish meat pie can be baked or fried, depending on what recipe you are following. Buenos Aires generally bakes them, whereas the rest of Latin America tends to fry them. You can decide how you’d like yours. Here is a Beef Empanada Recipe that is so good, you will won’t want to share them – but you should because it’s best to eat in company! Beef Empanada Dough Ingredients 3 cups flour 1 cup water ¾ cup lard, butter or extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp. salt Beef Empanada Filling Ingredients 1 lb. ground beef 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped and diced into fine pieces 1 large red bell pepper, chopped and diced into fine pieces 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tbsp. cumin 1 ½ tsp. spicy paprika 1 tbsp. oregano 2 hardboiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped 1 egg (for egg wash), whisked salt & pepper Beef Empanada Preparation In a large pot, heat water and lard (butter or extra virgin olive oil) until well mixed. Let cool until mixture becomes warm. In an electric mixer, add the lard and water mixture, flours and salt. Set to low. Mix until ingredients are well mixed, and a semi-soft ball is formed. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. While the dough is chilling, prepare the empanada filling. In a large pan, add your extra virgin olive oil. Add diced onion, chopped garlic and diced pepper. Sauté till golden brown. Add ground beef, and a bit more extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Sauté ground beef to brown. Add cumin, paprika and oregano. When the ground beef is well mixed with spices and browned, add salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped boiled egg. Set beef mixture aside. Place the chilled dough on a floured surface. Roll out the dough till it is ½ inch thick. Sprinkle with flour as needed to roll out evenly. Use a 5-inch circular pan to cut out the dough for each empanada. Place empanada mixture in the middle of each circle. Fold dough to create a half circle. Seal the edges by pinching them together with a fork. Preheat oven to 350°. Place on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for about 30 minutes. If preferred, fry in a deep fryer for a few minutes. Wine Pairing: Go for a bold red such as a Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.