'Mpanatigghi Sicilian Chocolate Beef Pastries

Instructions

1. Make the dough: rub the cold lard into the flour, sugar and salt until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Stir in the egg and Marsala to form a soft, not sticky, dough. Flatten into a disk, wrap and chill 1 hour.
2. Brown the ground beef in a dry skillet over medium heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 160 F (71 C). Drain any fat, then chop or pulse the meat until it is very fine and crumbly. Let cool 10 minutes.
3. In a bowl combine the beef, ground almonds, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Mix well; the warmth of the meat will soften the chocolate slightly. Stir in the egg white until the filling holds together when pressed.
4. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
5. Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch (3 mm). Cut 3-inch (8 cm) rounds, re-rolling scraps.
6. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on each round, fold into a half moon and press the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a small slit in the top of each so steam can escape.
7. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, until the pastry is pale golden and the edges are set. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack.
8. Dust with powdered sugar once completely cool.