Cuban Empanadas Filled with Picadillo

• Move 3 packs 10 six-inch, large empanada dough discs from the freezer to the fridge 12 hours before making the empanadas to defrost the dough.

For sofrito

The base of this recipe is Cuban sofrito. If you don't already have some made, you'll need to start by preparing a batch. For a full sofrito recipe with tips, see this blog post.

• Roughly chop 1 small white onion into quarters and add to a food processor.
• Peel 1 head of garlic and add cloves to the food processor.
• Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the tops and seeds. Roughly chop bell peppers. Put half of each bell pepper into the food processor.

  You can freeze the other half of the bell peppers for fajitas or other recipes.
• Add the olives from 1 9.5 oz jar Manzanilla olives or Spanish olives stuffed with pimento to the food processor.
• Turn on the food processor and pulse until you have a consistent paste.
• Use 1 cup of sofrito to make the picadillo and save the rest for another time.

For picadillo filling

Here is a blog post with full details and tips on how to make picadillo with ground turkey.

• Open the other jar of Manzanilla olives stuffed with pimento and roughly chop them until you have 1/2 cup. Set aside.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large, hot pan over medium-high heat.
• Add 1 cup sofrito and cook until fragrant (about a minute).
• Add 2 lbs ground turkey 85% lean and break it up with your spatula.
• Add your seasonings as the meat browns: 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp adobo, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp sazón.
• Stir in the seasonings to coat the meat evenly.
• Add 2 tbsp olive juice, 1/4 cup strained tomatoes or tomato sauce Pomi brand, a dash of hot sauce, and a capful of white vinegar.
• Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup chopped Manzanilla olives or Spanish olives stuffed with pimento.
• Add a splash of dry white wine and scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, stirring in the flavor.
• After adding all the seasonings, you should have been cooking your ground turkey for about 10 minutes. The total cook time will be about 10-15 minutes for the meat to brown yet stay juicy. If the meat sticks to the pan, add more white wine to keep it juicy.
• Turn the heat off and let the meat cool before making your empanadas. You can make the meat a day in advance.

Making the empandas

• Fill a small bowl with water. You'll use this to dip your finger in and wet the rim of the dough.
• Take out a pack of defrosted empanada dough from the fridge.
Only take out one pack from the fridge at a time so the dough doesn't get hard.
• To build an empanada, lay a disc of dough flat on a work surface.
• Dip your finger in the small bowl of water and wet the rim of the dough with your wet finger. This will ensure the dough seals. You cannot skip this step or else your empanadas will break open.
• Add about two tablespoons of the meat to the bottom half of the dough disc. Do not overstuff or else it will break.
• Fold the dough over the meat to create a semi-circle or half-moon shape. 
• Seal the dough by pressing a fork into the edges.
• Repeat until you have about 24 empanadas prepared.

Frying the empanadas

• Add 1 quart canola or corn oil to a deep pot.
The larger the pot, the less of a mess you'll make with the oil while frying.
• Line a plate with paper towels to place the empanadas on once they are ready.
• When the oil heats up, start frying. You can test to see if the oil is ready by putting a little piece of an extra dough disc in the oil. If it bubbles up immediately after hitting the oil, it's ready.
• Fry each of the empanadas for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden.
Take out the empanadas from the oil right before they turn golden brown to keep them from overfrying or burning.
• Place the empanadas on the lined plate, serve, and enjoy.