Hamburger Meat Pasties

West Indian Patties

May 4, 2009 JoAnn Jagroop

Deep fried short crust filled with hamburger, chili, tomatoes, annatto oil, cilantro, cloves, onion, garlic, bell pepper and mustard seed... the perfect walk-around food.

Patties, pastechis, pasties, and empanadas are all names for this savory pie popular in the Caribbean islands. Every island has its rendition of this pie, whether they are made with beef, lamb, mutton, pork, chicken or salted cod fish, they are served as an on-the-go snack, an appetizer, or a lunch item. There are dozens of little stands and take-out shops on every island selling patties to tourists and locals from Monday through Friday. In Jamaica, the dough is similar to choux pastry. In the Dutch islands, the dough is made by creaming eggs and fat together, then alternately adding flour and water until the dough is stiff enough to roll. In the Virgin Islands, a flaky pie crust is the preferred dough.

The following recipe makes enough filling for eight (6-inch) patties for lunch or twenty-four (3-inch) empanaditas for appetizers. You may use premade pie crusts available at most supermarkets or make your own pie crust.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hamburger beef
• 4 Tbsp annatto oil (or olive oil)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 2 Tbsp tomato paste)
• 2 Scotch Bonnet chilies, seeded and chopped (or 2 habañero chilies)
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup water
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Fry hamburger meat in oil until lightly browned.
2. Add all other ingredients, except frying oil, to the meat.
3. Stir to combine and simmer on low heat, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Remove cover and continue to cook until mix is soft but not runny, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat, let cool.
6. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness, between plastic wrap dusted with flour.
7. Cut dough into 6-inch circles. Re-roll dough scraps and cut circles until all dough is used.
8. Place 2 Tbsp of filling in center of each circle.
9. Fold in half and crimp edges to seal
10. Fry patties in 1 inch of oil heated to 370° F. until well browned, turning once.
11. Remove patties from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a rack to drain.

Notes:

1. You may bake the patties in a 375° F. oven for 30-35 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Butter an oven sheet, place patties on sheet, whisk 1 egg , and brush the tops with egg before baking.
2. Annatto oil, also called achiote oil, is red but cooks up yellow like saffron or turmeric. It also stains, so take care when handling.
3. If you prefer a more Latin flavor for the appetizer sized empanaditas, make your own flaky pie crust and substitute ½ cup to 1 cup of masa harina for the same amount of all-purpose flour, and substitute 1 Tbsp of lime juice for 1 Tbsp of water. Bake according to Note 1.

The copyright of the article Hamburger Meat Pasties in Latin/Caribbean Cuisine is owned by JoAnn Jagroop. Permission to republish Hamburger Meat Pasties in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.