NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1509360
18 Nebraskaland • October 2023 By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley DOVE EMPANADAS Empanadas are Latin America's version of the turnover, usually filled with savory ingredients rather than sweet. It was first brought to Central and South America by the Spanish, and today, there are as many versions of the empanada as there are grandmothers in any given region. The version I'm offering is associated with Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. The carne suave empanada is typically filled with minced ground meat, peppers and onion, and many recipes include raisins for a touch of sweetness and green olives for a burst of briny flavor. Any ground meat will work in this recipe. Servings: 15-18 empanadas Prep Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Ingredients: • 1 ⁄2 pound of ground dove breasts • 1 ⁄2 pound fatty ground po rk • 2 packages of Goya Empanada Dough (20 discs) • Vegetable oil for deep frying • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 1 medium onion, diced • 1 tsp. ground cumin • 1 tbs. sweet paprika • 1 1 ⁄2 tsp. dried oregano • 4 cloves garlic, minced • Pinch of cayenne pepper • 1 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra • Freshly cracked black pepper • 3 ⁄4 cup low-sodium chicken • 1 ⁄3 cup golden raisins • 5 Spanish Queen green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped 1. Thaw empanada dough in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread out ground dove and pork into the skillet and allow the bottom to form a crust before stirring and cooking the rest of the way. Then lower heat to medium. Transfer meat to a plate or bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. 2. In the same pan, add an additional tablespoon of oil, onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, but do not brown. Then stir in cumin, paprika, oregano and garlic for 30 seconds. Next, return ground meat to the skillet and season with about 1½ teaspoon of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Add chicken stock and simmer until mixture is no longer watery, but still moist, stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Stir in coarsely chopped olives (about ¼ cup) and raisins. Allow mixture to cool before filling empanadas. Mixture could be made a couple days in advance. 3. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of cooled filling onto each disc of empanada dough. Brush the edge with water and fold over to form half circles. Crimp with a fork. Heat frying oil to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry empanadas in batches until golden on both sides and drain. Keep warm in an oven and serve hot. To reheat empanadas, pop them in a 350-degree oven for a few minutes. IN THE FIELD These Argentinian empanadas are filled with dove and pork. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND