A delicious cookout last night led me to have a serious meat hangover. I went to bed at 9pm and woke up 12 hours later. I was refreshed, but lacking creativity.
"What do I make for dinner?!" The last thing I'd ever thought I'd be saying.
A few quick google searches later, I came across a suggestion for empanadas. Then I remembered this recipe (video is middle page, I love the explanation!) over at America's Test Kitchen, and felt the creativity flowing back.
I've made empanadas before, about two years ago. I'm not quite certain what I put in them at the time--I think it was chicken and whatever was in the fridge, but from what I've been told, at the end of the day the filling of the empanada matters little.
I found America's Test Kitchen (ATK) when a patient had directed me to them. He and I got on a kick late one night discussing food (he a long history in the food service industry, me with my passions for food, etc), and he told me all about ATK. I visit ATK every now and again, and am considering heavily on either a magazine or online subscription. More on that later...now in the quiet words of Alexander the Great, "TO THE EMPANADAS!" (I think he said that, did he not?)
The recipe reads to first make the filling, then the dough, then put the whole thing together. I decided to do it backwards, as I recalled ATK doing it in the opposite order on the video (on second watch, they did not), and I also like to march to my own tiny drummer. In retrospect, I would have done it in the order they outlined, unless I were to make the dough a day or two ahead of time.
The thing I found fascinating about this recipe and ATK in general, is that I learned something about baking that I had never known--alcohol in dough is essential to texture and taste of the dough, and won't leave an alcohol taste when baked. Most importantly, it will not form gluten, which is ideal when making crusts of any kind (see texture mentioned above, and the video).
The two strangest ingredients--Masa Harina and Tequila!
The problem with needing tequila in the dough is that I had none. J and I are not big drinkers--socially or otherwise--and had no spare tequila lying about. I had toyed with the idea of running over to my parent's house and stealing a cup or two, if they had any, but then thought how weird it would be to have that phone call with either parent: "Mom, could you spare a cup of tequila around noon time? What? Oh, no reason."
I ran over to the local liquor store, and before I knew it had the dough ready to go in the fridge. On to the filling, which came together nicely, as there wasn't anything too fancy beyond chopping or mixing. I'm not sure what one would do without a food processor in this recipe, however, as the meat requires a quick pulse or two (the dough could be hand made, the old fashioned way--a pastry cutter and elbow grease). I suppose one could re-use the pastry cutter as mentioned, and cut the bread-goup into the beef mixture, but that is best left to my (few) readers to test that one out.
The hardest part of the entire adventure was the actual assembly. It might have been that I was hungry, and therefore clumsy, and a few times I found myself slinging dough, filling, or flour on the floor when I did not mean to. That aside, they cooked up quick and well.
J was supremely happy with the finished product, going in for seconds and quickly packing them for for tomorrow's lunch.
I however was not happy with the crust--I would use a different flour next time, or less, if possible. It was harder to work with than normal pastry dough, something I chalked up to the flour again, and not the recipe itself. Also, this was baked and not fried, which had enormous health benefits (or non-malfeasance, depending on how you want to look at it), but left me feeling as though they lacked in flavor. Perhaps next time I would mess with the fat added--a lard or even perhaps crisco (gasp!).
For the filling, I felt as though there was a texture that was missing, perhaps even a flavor. Although I am certain it would not have been authentic, I would have added chopped pecans. My idea for next time: 1/3 cup toasted pecans added to the filling mixture right before going into the empanada. If that doesn't work, take out the toasted part and just add them in at that last step. Perhaps it is the baker in me that would add the pecans, and in that particular step, non?
What a long, strange culinary trip it's been today! After a morning of boredom, then inspiration, and subsequent meal, I would have to say it was a good, and yummy, day.
**UPDATE CORNER**
The beef stew, otherwise known as the stew-that-shall-not-be-named, was never eaten. We ran out the house to meet a friend and I forgot to turn it down to the "low" position in the slow-cooker. I came back to a fragrant and fork-tender total mess. There was beef-water overflow on the counter, on the side of the slow cooker, nearly on the floor...it was everywhere. Seeing as how it was 2am and I had cooking to do for the next day, I made the executive decision to can the whole debacle.
Will I make beef stew again? Yes, triumphantly, yes! That particular recipe, maybe not. I will continue my search, and my trials. I am reminded of that quote from Young Frankenstein:
(PG13--mild language)
10 points for Young Frankenstein reference.
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