Fried meat empanadas or “empanadas de pino” in spanish are a must-have during Chilean Independence Day celebrations, and in the south, they are usually prepared well in advance because they are considerably smaller in size than traditional oven-baked meat pies.
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How to make Fried Meat Empanadas?
Although they are becoming increasingly difficult to find in their traditional form, these small fried meat pies are the perfect expression of all the little details involved in making a good pie. When allowed to rest, they are wonderful.
Nutritional Information
Category: Appetizers
Cuisine: Chilean
Calories: 350
Preparation: 45 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Recipe for Fried Empanadas de Pino
Ingredients
1. Dough
- 750 g of flour with baking powder
- 400 ml of warm water
- 100 g of lard
- 1 teaspoon of salt
2. Filling
- 500 g of ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 4 large eggs
- 2 medium onions
- Olives
- Frying oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- Finely chop the onions, add oil to a medium skillet, and sauté over medium heat until they become translucent.
- Add the ground beef, paprika, cumin, and salt, gently stir with a wooden spoon, and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool and ideally reserve for about 12 hours.
- Boil water in a small pot and keep over high heat, add the 4 eggs, and cook for 10 minutes, remove from the water, let cool, peel, and divide into eight parts.
- Sift the flour into a medium bowl, make a well in the center, and add the lard, two cups of warm water, and salt. Mix and knead with hands until a homogeneous consistency is obtained, adding a little more water or flour if necessary.
- Sprinkle a clean, smooth surface with flour, knead until a flexible texture is obtained that does not stick to either fingers or the table, sprinkle a little more flour, and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of 2 to 3 millimeters. Cut the dough into a circular shape with a mold, knead, roll out, and cut the leftover dough again until completely used. Another option is to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape, distribute the fillings, seal, and cut with a cutting and sealing wheel.
- In the center of each dough, add a spoonful of beef filling along with a piece of hard-boiled egg and an olive, fold over and seal with moistened fingers in cold water.
- Heat enough oil in a deep fryer or deep skillet over medium-high heat to about 150°C (302°F), place the pies one by one without overlapping, and fry for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the pies with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate covered with paper towels.
- Serve the fried empanadas immediately, still hot, alone or accompanied by pebre and/or a glass of Chilean red wine.
What are Empanadas?
“Empanadas” is a Spanish word that refers to a type of pastry or turnover that is filled with various ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, or fruits.
The filling is wrapped in dough, which is then typically baked or fried until golden brown. Empanadas are a popular dish in many Spanish-speaking countries and can vary in size, shape, and filling depending on regional preferences.
Did you know?
The term “pino” given to the mixture of meat and onions for the pies comes from Mapudungun “pirru,” which is the name that the Mapuche people give to this preparation, so it is also often called “pinu.”
