The delicious food of the Northwest by Paula Caramuti

1.Sift flour(s) along with the salt into a large bowl. Use a pastry blender to work in the butter until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal and has only a few remaining small lumps of butter. You can also do this with a pastry cutter blade and a food processor.
2. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg, water and vinegar together with a fork. Stir it into the dry mixture until just incorporated.
3. Flour your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Place it on a lightly floured surface and use a light hand to knead it gently a few times before forming it into a flattened ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
4. To make the filling, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes (until it begins to soften). Add the pepper and continue cooking for another five minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and let cook for a few minutes.
5. Add the beef and break up with spoon as it cooks. Stir in the capers and parsley. Cook until the beef has browned. Stir, occasionally, so that the meat cooks evenly. Stir in the egg and turn down heat to low.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick (you can split the ball into several pieces, working with only a small piece of it at a time). Cut out roughly 3-5 inch round circles in the dough. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center and fold the circle into a half moon. Use more or less filling, depending on the size of your circles. Pinch and fold the edges to seal them and place the formed empanada onto a prepared baking sheet. Continue to do this with the remaining dough and filling.
7. Once you’ve formed all of your empanadas, brush them with the egg wash. Bake the empanadas for approximately 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. You can freeze formed empanadas in a freezer bag and also refrigerate uneaten empanadas.