You definitely want to make the pastry dough at the beginning of this recipe. That way, you can allow the pastry to chill in the refrigerator while you are preparing the meat filling. In a large bowl, measure out the flour and salt. Use a fork to blend them together.
Using a fork or a pastry blender, add the shortening to the mixture, cutting it into the flour until coarse crumbs form.
Stir the water into the pastry dough, tossing it with a fork. Start by adding about ¼ cup and stir the dough.
Add the rest of the water a splash or two at a time, just until the dough begins to ball up and stick together. You don’t want any dry portions of dough left, but you don’t want it too wet and gummy to handle.
If you accidentally add a bit too much water, sprinkle a bit of flour in the bowl to firm it up a little bit. When the dough is mixed correctly, you will be able to grab the whole dough ball and press it together in a ball. Return the dough ball to the bowl and refrigerate it while you are creating the beef filling.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and chop the meat up into little pieces. Add the garlic and cook it until it is golden brown and fragrant about 30 seconds.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, salt, cajun seasoning, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato sauce as well, stirring all of the ingredients until everything is fully mixed together. Simmer the meat mixture for fifteen or twenty minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the empanada dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two equal pieces. Take one of the pieces and put it on a lightly floured surface, pressing it into a disk.
Use a lightly floured rolling pin and roll it out to a 12 to 14-inch diameter circle. Take a bowl or plate that is about 6 inches across and press it into the dough to give you a template for cutting the dough. Cut the dough with a knife into a circle.
Repeat this until you have several circles on the pastry. Peel away the extra dough, setting it aside.
Then, take about a tablespoon of the shredded cheese and about ¼ cup of the meat mixture and place it in the center of each circle.
Fold the circles over the top of the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and repeat this process with the remainder of the dough, reusing the scraps until you run out of meat filling.
Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg over the empanadas.
Bake the empanadas for about 15 minutes or until the crusts are a light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve.