ARGENTINEAN BEEF EMPANADAS These panzudas (big-bellied) empanadas are a delight when fresh from the oven, begging to be eaten with tangy chimichurri. The best are made with hand-chopped beef, but if you use ground, buy ground top sirloin or chuck. If you’d rather not make the dough, use 12 store-bought empanada disks. The La Salteña brand comes in two styles: a flaky, buttery kind and a drier, less flaky type labelled criollas para horno, which are the ones you want here. For the dough 6 c. (1.5 L) extra-fine flour (preferably Argentinean Blanca Rosa 000) or cake flour 2 tsp. (10 ml) salt 2 tsp. (10 ml) sugar 1 c. (250 ml) homemade or storebought suet or lard 2 extra-large eggs 1¼ c. (310 ml) cold water or as needed For the filling 1 lb. (500 g) lean beef, such as boneless shin or top sirloin, or ground sirloin or chuck ¼ c. (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 4 c./1 L) 4 scallions, finely chopped (white and 3 in./7.5 cm of green parts) 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, deveined and finely chopped (about 1 c./250 ml) 1 tbsp. (15 ml) salt or to taste 2 tsp. (10 ml) freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. (5 ml) ground Argentinean hot red pepper (ají molido) or ground cayenne 1 tsp. (5 ml) hot Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón) 2 tsp. (10 ml) ground cumin 2 tsp. (10 ml) dried oregano 3 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped 24 Manzanilla olives, pitted and quartered (about 1 c./250 ml) 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp. (30 ml) cold water, for glaze
Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large Argentinean beef empanadas.