Empanadas Con Queso - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb steak, diced into 1/4-inch bite-size chunks or 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 teaspoon cajun spices (I use Old Bay)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 serrano peppers, minced (optional)
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons beef broth (I use beef boullion granules)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I keep a tube of sun-dried tomato paste in the fridge for stuff like this)
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
Queso Cheese Sauce
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Toss meat with cajun spices, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil until soft. Add seasoned steak and saute until cooked through.
In a small bowl, combine salsa, broth, and tomato paste. Pour over filling mixture in skillet, simmering for a minute or until slightly thickened.
Add cheese to filling, then transfer filling mixture to a bowl and chill in the fridge while you get to work on cutting the puff pastry.
Cut 18 squares from pastry sheets (you'll get 9 squares out of each sheet by cutting it into thirds at the two creases and cutting each strip into three squares). At this point, I like to sprinkle a little flour on each square and make them a bit bigger using a rolling pin.
Retreive filling from fridge and spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of filling onto each square or circle. Moisten the edges with water and fold over meat mixture, creating a triangle. Make sure to stuff all the filling in and press the edges together well with your fingers. Then seal the dough by pressing down on the edges with a fork. Repeat with remaining filling and pastry.
Place empanadas on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Brush each empanada with melted butter and pierce the top with a fork to vent steam. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
While empanadas are baking, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Wisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Wisk in milk gradually until incorporated. Gradually stir in cheese until melted and thickened. Season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over empanadas.