My Typical Empanada ground beef situation Recipe

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Summary
This recipe is based on the traditional Colombian empanada masa. This masa was customized based on flavors learned while living on the coast region of Colombia.
This recipe yields enough dough for about 10-12 empanadas.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (180g) precooked cornmeal (harina pan or arepa harina)
- 1.5 cups (–) water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet tricompleto
- 1 packet color or achiote
Instructions:
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Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, dump in your Arepa Repa, salt, color, and tricompleto.
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Add water: Just dump the water in there with the dry ingredients.
Pro Tip
: You want the water and masa to be roughly 1:1. Don’t deviate from this. Don’t get cute.
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A Masar: I guess this is considered kneading. But in spanish it’s “masar”. Just mix stuff together, squeeze dough between your fingers. Scrape the side of the bowl. No elbow grease needed, just minimal. mix it up. no more maybe 30 seconds. dont over process it, messes with texture.
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Rest the masa: Go do something else for 5 minutes before using it. fry some vegetables or something. come back.
Tips:
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This has been debated with locals… but really cold water has always made the best empanada masa in my opinion. it was flakier or something. superior.
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If you are feeling saucy, you can add a packet of cumin in with the dry ingredients.
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Don’t overwork the masa. Knead it just until it comes together and is smooth. Overkneading can make the masa tough.
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If you’re not planning on using the masa right away, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.