In honor of my trip to Mendoza, I recently gathered the Swirl Girls and a few special friends for an Argentine feast. I enlisted my good friend Carolina Benitez Marra, a native of Buenos Aires, to help with the food. Carolina makes some of the best empanadas I’ve tasted and this was the perfect excuse to get her recipe.

Beef empanadas are a classic Argentine snack and a great match for a ripe and spicy glass of malbec.

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CAROLINA’S ARGENTINE BEEF EMPANADAS 

Makes 6-8 appetizer portions

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus enough to half-fill a deep-sided frying pan

2 small yellow onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, diced

½ red bell pepper, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup basil, chopped

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 ½ pound ground beef

1/2 cup green olives, seeds removed and chopped

2 teaspoons “empanadas y rellenos” seasoning (see NOTES)

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and crushed with a fork

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 package (20-count) La Salteña empanada shells, “para freir,” thawed to room temperature (see NOTES)

Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to a large, deep-sided pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add red and green bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh basil and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.

Add ground beef, breaking apart large pieces and mixing into the rest of the ingredients until fully incorporated. Cook until the meat is a light brown color, mixing constantly, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add green olives, empanada seasoning, eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature.

Once empanada mixture has cooled, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mixture into the center of each empanada shell. Fold the shell in half to make a semi-circle shape and pinch the open edge closed. Starting at one corner of the semi-circle, twist and fold the pinched edge to fully close the shell. Repeat for all 20 empanadas.

Return the deep-sided pan to medium-high heat. Fill the pan with oil, enough to cover at least half of the empanadas when added. Add the empanadas, a few at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the shells are golden brown. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES:

• You can find “empanadas y rellenos” seasoning at Latin markets like El Bodegon. The brand Carolina uses is called Alicante and is a mixture of paprika, oregano, nutmeg, cumin, crushed chile and black pepper.

• La Salteña empanada shells can be found at Latin markets like El Bodegon. Make sure you get the red package that says “para freir” (for frying) and not the blue package “para horno” (for baking).