Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Brooklyn Beef Patties

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min (includes cooling time)
  • Active: 50 min
  • Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Brooklyn is a mix of ethnic neighborhoods and foods. A beef patty in Flatbush is a bureka in Midwood or a pastelillo de carne in Sunset Park. I've lived in all three neighborhoods and love all versions of what is basically ground beef spiced, then folded into a pastry and fried or baked. In Sunset Park, I often get these at a late-night street vendor just a few blocks from my place. My recipe combines traditional Jamaican beef patty flavors with additions of my own.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Cook the potatoes: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When warm, add the potatoes and some salt and pepper. When golden on one side, toss in the onion, salt and pepper, and some oil if the pan is dry. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the garlic and cook until fragrant, just 1 minute more. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate or bowl.
  2. Cook the beef: In that pan, add some olive oil, if needed, and the cumin, curry, chili powder, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Allow the spices to bloom in the pan, about 1 minutes. Once fragrant, add the beef, combine it with the spices and cook on medium-high heat, stirring often to break up the beef, until it browns, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the corn and reserved potato-onion mixture. Let cool. 
  3. Assemble the patties. When the beef filling is cool to the touch, work with 1 wrapper at a time and scoop 2 heaping tablespoons of filling into the center, then fold the dough over to form a half circle. Press out the air with your fingertips, from the filled sides to the edges. Press the tines of a fork along the edges to seal, creating a border about 1/2-inch wide. 
  4. Repeat with more filling and wrappers. 
  5. Fry the patties: In a large pot or deep fryer, heat 4 inches of oil to 365 degrees F, so the oil rests at 350 degrees F when the patties are added. In batches of 2 or 3, fry until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes for each batch. Allow the oil to rise to 360 degrees F before beginning a new batch. Transfer the patties to a plate with paper towels scrunched up so one side of the patties don't get soggy. Serve warm or at room temperature.