Empanadas de Pino (Chile)

World-Bites (26) / Empanadas de Pino

Empanadas are the most favorite of Chile snacks. There is a food vendor on just about every street corner in South America, selling Chilean Empanadas. In Chile, the most traditional empanada filling is called "pino". Pino is a seasoned mixture of ground meat, onions, raisins, black olives, and hard boiled eggs. The empananda dough1 is quick and easy to make, and can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The pino tastes best if made the day before and allowed to rest overnight before filling the empanandas.

Ingredients:

* Empanada dough (see recipe below)
* 3 large onions, chopped
* 1 pound ground meat
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1 teaspoon chile powder
* 1 tablespoon paprika
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup chopped olives
* 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

1. Prepare empanada dough2 and chill.

2. Cook the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil and butter until softened. Add the ground meat, cumin, chile powder, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook the meat, stirring and crumbling the meat, until browned. Add the flour and continue to cook for 5 or 10 minutes more.

4. Remove the meat mixture and let cool. The meat mixture will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

5. Shape the empanadas: Separate the dough into golf ball size pieces, and roll into smooth balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 6 inch diameter circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the meat filling, a few raisins and some chopped olives, and a slice of hard boiled egg to the middle of the circle.

6. Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling, to make a semi-circle.

7. Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers. Brush the sealed edge lightly with water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal.

8. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons milk, and brush the empanadas with the mixture.

9.Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.


Empanada Dough

This recipe produces a sweet dough that contrasts perfectly with savory fillings. Empanada dough is less flaky than pie crust (although you can substitute frozen pie crust dough in a pinch) - it has a tender texture that soaks up the filling.

This dough can be used for baked or fried empanandas. If you are going to fry the empanadas, omit the egg yolk and roll the dough out slightly thinner (less than 1/4" thickness).
Ingredients:

* 4 cups flour
* 1-2 teaspoons salt
* 2-3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 12 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
* 3/4 cup cup water
* 2 egg yolks

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt and the sugar.

2. Work the butter and shortening or lard into the flour mixture with your fingers until well blended.

3. Whisk the egg yolks into the water. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water/egg mixture, a little at a time until the dough comes together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more water/egg a little bit at a time as necessary (you made need more than 1 cup), until the dough is very smooth, about 5-10 minutes. You can knead the dough with a standing mixer and a dough hook attachment.

4. Cover the dough with saran wrap and let rest on the counter for about an hour. (Dough can also be kept overnight in the refrigerator, then brought to room temperature before using.) Dough should be soft and smooth, and not elastic - if you poke a hole in it with your finger, the indentation should remain.

5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll into desired thickness.

6. Makes enough dough for 8 large empanadas.