Red Chile Cheese Empanadas

Ingredients:
dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1 1/4 cups water
filling:
2 1/2 lbs. roast beef, cooked and shredded
1-2 cups red chile sauce
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients for the dough together with a wooden spoon until well combined and a little sticky. Pinch away golf ball–sized pieces of dough and roll each one into a ball. Place dough balls on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 4–6 hours
In a medium bowl, combine shredded meat, red enchilada sauce and cheese. Mix and set aside.
When dough is ready, fill a medium saucepan with ¾ inch oil. Heat over medium heat to 365 degrees F.
Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface into a 5–6-inch round.
Add ¼ cup of roast beef mixture to one side of each dough circle. Fold the other half over and pinch around the entire edge.
Working in batches, fry empanadas in oil for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve warm.