By Roman Feeser and David Morgan

April 8 is National Empanada Day – the perfect excuse for this savory recipe for Cuban-Style Picadillo Empanadas, shared with "Sunday Morning" readers by Nashville-based chef Rita Martinez, a.k.a "The Salty Cubana."

A first-generation Cuban American, Martinez was raised in Miami, Florida, in the heart of Little Havana. She told "CBS Sunday Morning," "I was so fortunate to be surrounded by my culture growing up; it's something I'm very proud of. If you wanted a snack there were always empanadas around.

"I learned to make empanadas with my grandmothers. Homemade empanadas were a rare occasion because they were a labor of love. As a child, empanadas, to me, they take me home – the crunch, the savoriness, the saltiness of it all. It just gives you that feeling of comfort of home."

To watch Martinez's instructions on preparing Cuban-Style Picadillo Empanadas, click on the video player below: 

"Cuban empanadas begin with a dough that's very similar to its Galician grandpa. We have an array of fillings. Everything from spinach and cheese to seafood to ham and, of course, our take on the almighty picadillo – a stewed ground beef filling cooked up with bell peppers, onions, copious amounts of garlic, and a sprinkle of raisins."

Kitchen Scale Measuring cups & spoons Bowls for mixing and water Stand mixer with the dough paddle if you have one Plastic wrap, large ziplock bag or airtight bowl Rolling pin & bench scraper Large 5-6" cookie cutter Deep cast iron skillet Frying thermometer Paper towels for draining.

890g all-purpose flour 25g baking powder 20g salt 35g cane sugar 110g (roughly 8 Tbsps. or 1 stick) unsalted butter 380g water 2 cups vegetable oil for frying in skillet (preferably canola)

40ml extra virgin olive oil 200g large yellow onion, peeled and diced 160g red bell pepper, diced 5 cloves garlic, minced 20g salt 3.5g black pepper 16 oz. pound ground beef 2 bay leaves 56g tomato paste 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar 2 large tomatoes, coarsely diced 50g capers with ¼ cup of juice ½ cup pimento, diced 75g dried raisins

½ cup minced yellow onion ½ cup chopped carrot greens (or flat-leaf parsley) 1 Tablespoon chopped oregano ½ Tablespoon finely grated or minced garlic 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ cup rice vinegar 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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First published on April 8, 2022 / 3:40 PM

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