Empanadas chilenas

Prep:35 mins

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Cook:30 mins

Chill :60 mins

Total:2 hrs 5 mins

Servings:18 servings

Yield:18 empanadas

Empanadas are a popular South and Central American food. It’s a fried or baked pastry filled with a variety of savory or sweet ingredients.

The most famous Chilean empanadas are filled with beef, but what makes them unique is their shape. They’re more square and slightly bigger than Argentinian empanadas. 

This staple dish is the ultimate comfort food. Some people eat this South American food frequently, accompanied by soup or salad. 

You can find as many types of empanadas as cooks in the world. These turnovers are a flavorful portable meal that can be packed with local ingredients. And while empanadas are great as appetizers, many countries in Latin America have a bigger version that can be served as a main dish. Empanadas de pino, one of the most popular in Chile, are an example of a thick, big, and generously stuffed empanada.

From the Mapuche term “pirru,” which refers to the onion and beef mixture, “pino” became the name for these marvelous crispy empanadas. Although for outsiders, a filling of beef, raisins, onions, olives, and hard-boiled eggs seems like something unusual, take our word for it. They are amazing.

An easy-to-make empanada dough wraps these savory treats, and both the dough and filling can be made the day before and kept refrigerated until it’s time to assemble. Serve with pebre for a traditional Chilean meal.

Ingredients

For the Empanada Dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons chilled lard, or vegetable shortening
• 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup water

For the Beef Filling:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup black olives, chopped

For Assembly:

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons milk

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

1. Gather the dough ingredients.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and then stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt and all of the sugar.
3. Mix the butter and shortening (or lard) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, or with two knives, until fairly well incorporated.
4. Whisk the egg yolks with 1 cup of water.
5. Stir in 1/2 cup of the water-egg mixture, a little bit at a time, until the dough starts to come together smoothly.
6. Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the water-egg mixture as needed. A few tablespoons of extra water may be needed. The dough will become smooth, although somewhat soggy until it has thoroughly chilled.
7. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. The dough can also be kept in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to use, the dough should be soft and smooth, not elastic. When poking a hole in the dough with a finger, the indentation should remain. Reserve.

Prepare the Beef Filling

1. Gather the filling ingredients.
2. Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. 
3. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and fragrant. 
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
5. Add the ground beef, cumin, chili powder, paprika, beef bouillon (dissolved in the hot water), and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat with a spatula, until well-browned.
7. Add the flour and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the raisins and black olives into the beef mixture.
9. Let the filling cool completely. The filling will keep up for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Assemble the Empanadas

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grab a baking sheet.
3. Separate the empanada dough into golf-ball-size pieces and roll into smooth balls.
4. Let the dough balls rest for 5 minutes.
5. Roll each ball of dough on a floured surface into a 6-inch circle of about 1/4-inch in thickness.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of the ​beef filling and one slice of hardboiled egg into the middle of the circle.
7. Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling to make a semi-circle. Seal the edges by pressing down with fingers.
8. Brush the sealed edge lightly with water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with fingers to seal.
9. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk and brush the empanadas with the mixture.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Can I Freeze Empanadas de Pino?

You can freeze these delicious empanadas once they’re assembled. Choose to freeze them with the egg wash on or without. Simply place the empanadas on a baking tray and freeze horizontally for at least 6 hours before transferring them into freezer bags. If you freeze them together they will stick to each other, thus freezing them individually beforehand guarantees they’ll keep their shape. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For cooking, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the egg wash if you froze them without, and bake them at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.