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Steak-and-Chorizo Empanadas

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
  • SERVINGS: 10

The Parrot Club • San Juan, Puerto Rico

Guillermo Gonzalez loves mojitos with these spicy and rich empanadas. At home, he sometimes substitutes a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, Tabasco, garlic and cilantro for the cilantro cream here.

  1. 4 ounces dry Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  2. 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
  3. 1/4 cup finely diced Italian frying pepper
  4. 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  5. 1 small garlic clove, minced
  6. 1/2 pound skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  7. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  8. 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  9. 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  10. Ten 5-inch empanada wrappers, such as Goya, thawed if frozen
  11. Vegetable oil, for frying
  12. 1 cup sour cream mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup minced cilantro, for serving
  1. In a large skillet, cook the chorizo over moderate heat until the fat has rendered, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a bowl. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the peppers, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the steak and chorizo and cook until the steak is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl to cool. Stir in the cheese and cilantro.
  2. Arrange the empanada wrappers on a work surface. Spoon the filling onto the bottom half of each round and fold the top over. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the empanadas.
  3. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350°. Fry the empanadas in batches, turning once, until golden all over, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve the empanadas with the cilantro–sour cream dipping sauce.