Empanadas de Pino al Horno

Recipe from Hector, chef at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, via Janice Lee

Ingredients:

Pino (filling)

Beef, soft and non-fat cuts, cut into 1/4" cubes [less traditional: use ground beef] - 1 lb

Onions, finely chopped - 3 big

Lard or shortening - 3 tbsp

Paprika - 2 tbsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Black olives (kalamata is fine) - 4 oz

Eggs, hard boiled - 3

Oil

Salt

Pepper

Dough

Flour - 2 lb

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Lard or shortening - 7 oz

Salt - 1 tbsp

Warm milk - 1 cup

Egg yolk (mixed with milk) - 1

Method:

Pino:

Melt the lard in a pot and fry the beef. Add the minced onions, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cook until onions are translucent. Let cool. Optionally, add 2 tbsp sugar if you desire a sweet filling.

Dough:

Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt, and sugar. Melt the lard and add this to the dough with warm milk. Mix to form a soft and smooth dough. Let rest half an hour.

Making the empanadas:

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and cover with a cloth to keep it warm. Stretch out each piece of dough with a rolling pin into disks of about 3 mm thickness. Place a tablespoon of filling onto the disk, and add a quarter of a boiled egg and a black olive. Wet the edges of the disk and fold in the middle. Fold the edge to seal. Brush the top of the empanada with the yolk-milk mixture. Make a little hole with a toothpick on top to let it breathe and to avoid inflated dough during baking.

Preheat the oven to 200 C and bake for about 40 min. Serve hot.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan