-
1
Make the Curtido
10 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Toss the shredded cabbage, grated carrot and sliced red onion in a bowl with the lime juice and 2 g of the salt. Mix well, press it down lightly, and leave it to sit for at least 15 minutes while you cook everything else.
Slice the onion paper-thin: thick slices stay harsh, while thin ones soften in the lime juice and turn a pretty pink.
Done when: Cabbage slightly wilted, onion pink and mild, slaw bright and tangy.
-
2
Boil the Green Plantains
15 Mins
Rolling boil, about 100°C (212°F)
Put the plantain chunks in the boiling water with a pinch of the salt and cook for 12-15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain very well and let them steam dry for 2 minutes so the dough is not wet.
Drain the plantains thoroughly and let the steam escape: wet plantains make a sticky dough that tears when you fold it.
Done when: Plantains completely soft all the way through, dry on the surface.
-
3
Cook the Seasoned Beef Filling
12 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 180°C (355°F); beef cooked to 71°C (160°F)
While the plantains boil, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the white onion and red bell pepper for 3 minutes until soft, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, then add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, oregano and 2 g of salt and cook for 6-8 minutes until the beef is browned all through and the mixture is thick, not watery. The beef must reach 71°C (160°F). Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Cook the filling until it is thick and almost dry: a wet filling steams inside the empanada and bursts the dough in the oil.
Done when: Beef browned throughout at 71°C (160°F), filling thick and spoonable, with no puddle of liquid.
-
4
Mash the Plantain Dough
10 Mins
Warm dough, about 50°C (122°F)
While the plantains are still warm, mash them until completely smooth, then grate the reserved raw plantain straight into the bowl and knead everything together with the remaining 3 g of salt until a soft, pliable dough forms. If it feels sticky, wet your hands rather than adding flour — this dough is naturally gluten-free and needs no flour at all.
The raw grated plantain is the traditional binder: it gives the dough the stretch it needs to fold without cracking. Mash while warm, or the dough turns stiff and crumbly.
Done when: Dough smooth, soft and pliable, holding its shape when rolled into a ball.
-
5
Fill and Seal the Empanadas
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Flatten each ball between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment into a disc about 12 cm across. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef filling onto one half, fold the other half over, and press the edges firmly together, crimping with a fork. Seal every edge well.
Keep the filling to 2 tablespoons per empanada and keep it off the rim: filling on the edge stops the seal from closing and the empanada will open in the oil.
Done when: Eight neat half-moons with fully sealed, crimped edges and no filling showing.
-
6
Fry Until Golden and Crisp
10 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 175°C (350°F). Fry the empanadas in batches of 3-4 for 2-3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp all over. The filling inside must be hot through, at least 74°C (165°F) when reheated. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Do not crowd the pan: too many empanadas at once drops the oil temperature and they turn greasy instead of crisp. Let the oil come back to 175°C (350°F) between batches.
Done when: Shell deep golden and crisp, hot all the way through, filling at least 74°C (165°F).
-
7
Serve Hot with Curtido
3 Mins
Serve hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Put 2 empanadas on each plate and spoon a generous pile of curtido over the top, exactly as in the photo. Serve at once, while the shell is still crisp, with aji criollo hot sauce on the table for those who want heat.
Spoon the curtido on at the table, not ahead of time: its lime juice softens the crisp shell within minutes.
Done when: Empanadas steaming, crisp and golden, curtido bright and crunchy on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat empanadas de verde hot, straight from the fryer, with the cool, tangy curtido spooned over the top and aji criollo within reach. The contrast — crisp plantain shell, juicy beef, crunchy slaw — is the whole point of the dish.
Ecuador
30m
