Chilean Pastry Recipes
Oven Empanadas:
Ingredients ( 20 portions )
· 1 kg rumpsteak
· 4 large onions
· 4 dessertspoons lard
· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 2 dessertspoons paprika
· ½ teaspoon pepper
· 2 teaspoons of garlic sauce
· 20 olives
· 40 sultanas
· 4 boiled eggs
Preparation:
Chop the meat up into cubes of 1 cm. Do not mince the beef because the mixture will not be as tasty. Fry the meat in the pork lard until is it just cooked through so that it will still have some juice when it is cooking in the oven. Season the mixture with the salt, cumin and garlic sauce which have been freshly ground in a stone mortar. Chop the onion up into thick chunks; fry them in the lard until they become transparent without overcooking them as they will lose their juice. Season with salt, paprika and pepper before taking them off the heat.
Combine the meat with the onion, let the mixture cool and store in the fridge.
Preparing the Pastry:
· 1 kg flour, sieved (8 cups)
· 200 g lard, melted
· ½ litre hot water
· ½ dessertspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon paprika mixed with one dessertspoon of oil
· 1 egg white
Preparation:
Pour the flour on to the table or work surface making a cone shape. Make a well in the centre where you can then gradually add the salt water, lard and paprika alternating each of the three ingredients. Use a spoon to stir the well mixing all the ingredients together. During this first stage do not use your hands or you will get burnt. Once the mixture is ready, start kneading it using both hands until it is completely mixed through. Shape it into a ball and cover it with a tea cloth so that it does not get cold and therefore difficult to roll out.
Using the pastry, cut out pieces, the size of a tennis ball and knead them over a floured surface so that they do not stick to it. When the pastry is 2 mm thick cut out circles using a plate, by cutting around the edge of it.
Place two heaped dessertspoons of the beef filling in the middle of the pastry, then add a piece of boiled egg on top with one olive and two sultanas.
Use your fingers to dampen the edge of the pastry with lukewarm water so that the pastry stays in place when you fold it over. Use the edges of your hand to press down around the joins, flattening the pastry edges so that they it does not end up being too thick.
Use a pastry brush to spead the egg white over the pastry.
Set the oven at its maximum temperature and place the empanadas on a metal oven tray. Turn the temperature down to minimum, place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then check to see if they are browning. If they are still pale, turn up the heat. When they are ready cover them in a tea towel for 10 minutes before serving.
Fried Cheese Empanadas:
Ingredients
· 3 cups of flour, sieved
· 1 ½ dessertspoons lard (60 g)
· 1 cup milk or water (hot)
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 piece of chanco cheese or any good quality cheese
Preparation
Follow the same method used for the oven empanadas, make a cone shape with the flour, then a well in the centre, pouring in the lard and hot milk and stirring with a spoon. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, knead it and when it reaches the right point (soft, warm and elastic) wrap it in a tea cloth so that it does not get cold.
Cut the pastry out into circles using a plate to cut around and then place a piece of cheese, 1 cm thick, in the middle.
Fry them in hot oil until then turn a golden colour.

Do you like what you see? Share it!