Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pork
• 1/2 pound beef
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 4 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 medium-sized potatoes, boiled with skin
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground cumin seed
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound dry yellow corn
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Vegetable oil

Method:

• Marinate meat with 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon scallions, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 dash pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Brown meat in vegetable oil. Add marinade and water. Cook about 40 minutes, until meat is tender. Remove and grind meat. Reserve stock.
• Sauté 1/2 cup onions and 1/2 cup scallions in oil. Add tomatoes and fry an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Mix in the ground meat and meat stock and cook for about 10 minutes. Peel and mash the cooled boiled potatoes and add them to the meat and vegetable mixture.
• Mix the 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon cumin into the meat and potato mixture. Set aside.
• In separate pan, boil dry yellow corn in sufficient water to cover for about a half hour. Put the cooked corn through a grinder. Add salt, cornstarch, and brown sugar to ground corn. Knead dough until thoroughly mixed, and form a firm ball.
• Shape dough into small-sized balls. Flatten each piece. Put about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture in the center of the flattened ball. Fold over and pinch edges together to close.
• Deep-fry in hot vegetable oil about 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Yields: 60 empanadas

Hint: The meat mixture can be made in advance and stored in the freezer, but the dough must be made fresh the day of use.