Beef Empanadas with Chimichurri Sauce

Empanadas are a common snack found in Latin Amerca and Southern Europe. This traditional recipe uses beef, eggs and olives, with plenty of garlic and spices, and a tasty parsley chimichurri sauce.

Makes 16

2 tbsp olive oil

750g chuck steak, cut into 2cm pieces

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp plain flour

3 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1½ cups beef stock

1 small red onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, extra, roughly chopped

½ cup olive oil

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed

1 bunch coriander, leaves removed

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

4 sheets frozen ready-rolled short crust pastry, partially thawed

4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges

16 stuffed green olives

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-based heatproof casserole dish or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of the meat and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Cook remaining portions of beef, adding more oil as required, until browned. Transfer to plate.

2 Add onion and garlic to pan and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle flour, cumin and paprika over onion and combine. Slowly add beef stock, stirring constantly until combined and mixture comes to the boil. Return beef to casserole dish. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 1½ hours or until meat is tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Cool.

3 Place red onion, garlic, oil, parsley and coriander into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice, vinegar, chilli flakes and salt. Stir until combined.

4 Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 x 8cm rounds. Spoon 1 heaped tablespoonful of meat mixture onto one half of each pastry round, leaving a 1.5cm border. Top with a wedge of egg and an olive. Brush border with cold water. Fold pastry over filling. Press edges together to seal.