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Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers)

Crispy, golden fried pastry pockets filled with seasoned ground beef and hard-boiled egg, a Brazilian street-food staple sold at open-air markets. The thin, blistered dough fries up shatteringly crisp.

70 minMediumServes 6290 cal/serving

BrazilianAppetizerStovetopStandardLow CarbLow-SodiumPork-Free

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp cachaça or vodka
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for dough)
  • 12 oz ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large plum tomato, seeded, diced
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Make the dough: whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt together in a large bowl. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for dough), 2 tbsp cachaça or vodka, and 3/4 cup warm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.

  2. 2

    Make the filling: heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1 small finely diced yellow onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds. Add 12 oz ground beef (80/20) and cook, breaking it up, until browned and no pink remains. Drain excess fat.

  3. 3

    Stir 1 large seeded, diced plum tomato, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, and additional salt to taste into the beef. Cook 3 more minutes until tomato softens. Remove from heat and fold in 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs and 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Let filling cool completely.

  4. 4

    Divide dough into equal balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a very thin round, about 6 inches in diameter.

  5. 5

    Place a heaping spoonful of filling on one half of each round. Fold the dough over and press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork.

  6. 6

    Heat 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a deep heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry pastels in batches, 2-3 at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and blistered. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and serve immediately.

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Questions

How hot should the oil be for Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers)?

For Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers), the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 6. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers)?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers) uses 12 oz ground beef (80/20).

Is Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers) low-carb?

A serving of Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers) carries 16 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of it fiber. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 80 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 16 percent.

Does Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers) contain eggs?

Yes: 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten and eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

How many carbs are in Pastel de Feira (Fried Pastry Turnovers)?

One serving (the recipe makes 6) has 16 g of carbohydrate in about 290 calories, with 10 g protein and 21 g fat, plus 1 g fiber and 103 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

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