Beef Empañadas

Ingredients

• 14 ounce canned tomatoes whole drained chopped canned
• 1 package empanada pastry disks frozen thawed
• 1  garlic clove finely chopped
• 0.8 pound ground beef chuck 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 2 large hardboiled eggs 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 0.5 medium onion finely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon oregano dried
• 1.5 tablespoons pimiento-stuffed olives chopped
• 2 tablespoons raisins 
• 4 cups vegetable oil 

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• plastic wrap
• baking pan
• kitchen thermometer

Directions

1. Cut each egg crosswise into 10 thin slices.
2. Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened.
3. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
4. Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes.
5. Spread on a plate to cool.
6. Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.
7. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches.
8. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.
9. Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.
10. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.
11. Cooks' note
12. Empanadas can be brushed with oil and baked on an oiled baking sheet in a 425°F oven until golden, about 10 minutes. (They will not be as crisp as fried empanadas.)