A CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION

festive fiesta into a chef Marcela Turn your gathering from with this appetizer Valladolid

Empanadas de Picadillo SERVES 10–12 INGREDIENTS FOR PICADILLO

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,

divided

1 large vine-ripened tomato, cut into chunks 1 large dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeded and ripped into small pieces

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken

broth

1/2 large white onion, minced

(about ¾ cup)

1/2 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2- to ¼-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

11/2 lbs lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR DOUGH

2¹/³ cups all-purpose flour,

plus more for dusting 1 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp flaky sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder 10 tbsp unsalted butter,

cubed, chilled

1/2 cup crema Mexicana 1 large egg

FOR ASSEMBLY

Picadillo, cooled 1 large egg, whisked, to brush over the empanadas

Fresh salsa or salsa macha, to serve

These stress-free empanadas are sure to be a hit with your family and friends on May 5. “This is great for Cinco de Mayo because you can make it ahead and freeze and just go directly to the stove the day of!” Mexican Made Easy alum Marcela Valladolid tells Us of her dish, featured in her cookbook Familia. “Everyone loves empanadas,” she adds. “It’s also one of those dishes that takes many of us back to our childhood.” For an extra kick, Valladolid suggests pairing the bites with a tasty salsa. “An oil-based and spicy macha would be my preference,” she says, “but avocado salsa verde or a salsa taquera would be great too!”

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR PICADILLO

1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomato and dried ancho, and cook for 5 minutes to release the juices. Add the broth, lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Set the puree aside.

2 Heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, potato and garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the meat and sauté for 4 minutes, making sure to really break the meat apart, using a wooden spoon. Add the tomato puree, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

FOR EMPANADAS

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

2 To make the dough, in a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder until combined. Add the butter and process until you have a coarse meal and the mixture begins to stick to the side of the container, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the crema and egg, using a wooden spoon. When combined, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal parts, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

3 Take half of the dough and roll out to 1⁄4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a 5- to 5½-inch bowl as a guide, cut disks from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. You can reroll the dough trimmings to get one or two more entire disks.

4 To assemble, fill each dough disk with 2 tbsp of picadillo. Brush the edges lightly with egg and fold into half-moons. Pinch the edges to seal the empanadas.

5 Brush the empanadas with more egg. Refrigerate the empanadas 5 to 15 minutes.

6 Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Serve hot with any fresh salsa or salsa macha.