INGREDIENTS
Lamb:
1 lb of Ground American Lamb
¼ cup of Diced Yellow Onions
¼ cup of Diced Red Bell Peppers
2 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
1.5 tbsp of Minced Garlic
1 tsp of Dried Parsley
1 tsp of Dried Oregano
1 tsp of Black Pepper
1 tsp of Kosher Salt
½ tsp of Red Chili Flakes
Empanada Filling:
Empanada Discs
1 Egg, whipped for wash
Whipped Feta Dip:
¼ cup of Sour Cream
⅛ cup of Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp of Mayonnaise
1.5 tbsp of Minced Garlic
¾ tbsp of Honey
1.5 tsp of Olive Oil
1 tsp of Kosher Salt
1 Lemon, juiced
2 tsp of Parsley, chopped for garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the whipped feta dip. Blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and set in the fridge until ready to use.
Preheat your wood fired oven for indirect cooking at 400F. If you’re using a conventional oven, don’t worry, the times and temperatures are the same!
Add a cast iron skillet to the oven for 2 minutes to preheat. Add a little canola oil to the skillet along with the diced onions and let brown for 2 minutes. Next, add the red bell peppers and garlic to brown for another 2 minutes. Finally add the ground lamb, parsley, oregano, pepper, salt, red chili flakes and red wine vinegar. Cook until the water is gone from the ground meat. Once done pull the meat out of the skillet, place into a bowl and add the bowl to the freezer for 10 minutes to chill. *USDA recommends to cook for an internal cook time of 160 degrees F, followed by a 3 minute rest*
Once the meat is completely cold (but not frozen), begin making your empanadas. Grab the empanada disc and place a spoonful of the ground lamb in the center. Next you will either begin to crimp the sides of the empanada to seal or you can seal it using the edge of a fork. Either way will work just fine. Once all the empanadas are sealed, score the top side with 3 slits and place them into a greased cast iron skillet. Brush some whipped egg over the top of each empanada and set aside.
Get your wood fired oven to 350F. Place the empanadas into the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until the pastry is fully cooked and golden brown on top. Make sure to rotate your skillet in order to let the pastries cook evenly. Once the empanadas are done, pull them off and let cool for 5 minutes.
Serve with the whipped feta on the side and enjoy!
