Learn how to make this classic Brazilian recipe: Brazilian Beef Empanada, or as they are called in Brazil, Pastel de Carne!
Pastel is so traditional in Brazil! It is pretty much similar to a deep fried empanada. It can be a snack or, depending on its size, it can be considered a meal. It consists of half-circle or rectangle-shaped thin crust pies with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil.
You can find the Brazilian beef empanada (pastel de carne) everywhere. In street fairs, farmer's markets, small restaurants, bakeries, served in bite size portions during happy hour, the list goes on and on.
And the fillings are endless. The classics are beef, cheese, hearts of palm, chicken, Chinese cabbage, shrimp and cod. But you can also find stroganoff pastel, 4 cheese pastel, tomato and basil, ricotta and tomato, sausage, and even sweet pastéis, such as chocolate, brigadeiro and dulce de leche.
There are Pastelarias (restaurants that serve only pastéis) and in their menus you can find over 50 different fillings. Your imagination is the limit 🙂 If it can be placed inside a piece of dough and fried, it is a pastel filling 🙂 🙂
I have already shared with you a Shrimp Pastel recipe and today you'll learn the most traditional of all pastéis (plural of pastel), the Pastel de Carne - Brazilian Beef Empanada.
For more Brazilian recipes click here.
Now let's see the recipe for Brazilian Beef Pastel!
Brazilian Beef Pastel
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour + more for work surface
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vodka
- 1 tbsp salt
Filling
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 hard boiled eggs chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup olives chopped (optional)
Instructions
Dough
- Place the flour and salt in a bowl or a working surface and make a hole in the middle. In this hole add the oil, vodka and a little water. Little by little mix dry ingredients and liquids. If the dough is too hard, add a little more water and if it's sticky add a little more flour.
- Place the dough between 2 parchment papers and roll out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut round disc shapes (use round molds or a small bowl approximately 6 in in diameter). Place the discs between plastic wrap so they don't stick to each other.
Filling
- In a frying pan place olive oil and onion and cook for around 2 minutes. Add ground beef and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for around 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile boil eggs, peel and chop them. Chop olives and parsley. Mix all filling ingredients.
Assembling
- Place the filling on the dough discs (about 1 1/2 tbsp) do not overfill - there should be enough space for the filling to spread around.
- Dip a finger in cold water and run it around the edge of the dough circle. Press edges to close the pastel with a fork.
- Fry them in hot oil until golden brown, basting and turning them once or twice. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pastéis to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
Comments
No Comments