After spending the week up to my eyeballs in cookie dough, it was time to swap the sweet for the savory. Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America was the perfect substitution. Featuring 10 different dough recipes, two master meat recipes (flank steak and chicken), the book starts with the basics, then goes on to provide a variety of both fried and baked empanada variations from meatless to sweet.
Now I know this month is supposed to be Mexican fare, but I couldn’t pass up a recipe for a Chilean empanada. The Famous Beef, Raisin and Olive Hand Pies came together easily, though not quickly. The flank steak required a 90-minute simmer, and while this recipe yielded 22 hefty, flaky packets, assembling the empanadas would have been more fun with a group or small assembly line of Latin cuisine enthusiasts. As I prepared the empanadas on Sunday during the football game, I received no such assistance. But that’s fine. Really.
The result was a meaty, subtly spiced, golden pocket with extra oomph courtesy of a Manzanilla olive and a little sweetness from the golden raisins. Perfect for a party or to make ahead for a grab-and-go lunch option, these baked empanadas were worth the effort.
Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate. Timing and planning are key. The dough needs to rest for a short time and then rest again after being divided into empanada portions. The flank steak needs to cook for a couple of hours and filling nearly two dozen empanadas is also time consuming.
This book is for: Anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen and wants to explore some lesser known flavors and rustic cooking traditions of Latin America.
Other recipes to try: Classic Ham and Cheese Pockets and the Red Pepper Salsa
The verdict: While flavorful and texturally pleasant, Hartwood remains the champ for its luxurious, fresh fare.
Famous Beef, Raisin and Olive Hand Pies 22 servings
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. smoked Spanish paprika
1½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. Cooked Flank Steak (recipe follows), finely diced
½ cup golden raisins
22 whole pitted green or Manzanilla olives
6 hardboiled eggs, peeled and quartered
1 egg white, beaten
1 recipe Bread Dough (recipe below)
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg and 2 tsp. half-and-half or milk.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook until they start to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, salt, oregano and pepper; stir well. Add the beef and raisins; cook for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup water (or cooking liquid from the steak) and simmer for 30 seconds, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the filling from the heat; transfer it to a large plate and let it cool for 30 minutes. Cover and chill it for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• After the filling chills, make the dough and let it rest, covered with plastic or with a damp towel, for 10 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 22 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, folding the bottom onto itself so that the ends are at the bottom and the top are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 10 minutes. On a well-floured surface, press each ball slightly into a flat disc.
• Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it opens like a book. Place a disc in the middle of the tortilla press and flatten it into a 6½-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper in between to avoid sticking.
• Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Place ¼ cup of the filling, one-quarter of an egg and an olive in the bottom half of the disc, leaving a ½ inch rim without filling. Fold the bottom of the dough to meet the top of the disc, encasing the filling and forming a half-moon, and press the edges together well. Flatten it to make a 1-inch rim all around; brush the top of the rim with some of the egg white. Fold the side rims toward the middle of the empanada; fold the top rim toward the middle (like an envelope). Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings, until all the ingredients are used. The empanadas can sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking, or can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the empanadas on the prepared pans and brush them with the egg wash. Bake the empanadas for 28 to 30 minutes, until their tops are golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking, back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to a cooling rack. Let them rest of 3 to 5 minutes. Serve them hot or at room temperature.
Cooked Flank Steak 1 to 2 lbs. flank steak
½ small white onion, halved
1 celery stalk (with leaves, preferred)
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp. fine sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Place the flank steak in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover the steak by about 1½ inches. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil; cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 1½ hours, or until the beef is easily shredded with a fork.
• Remove the steak from the pot, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid; set both aside. When the beef is cool enough to handle, remove any fat or sinew and slice it crosswise into thirds. Use your fingers to shred it into thin strands or chop it into a fine dice, according to the recipe; chill, covered, until ready to use.
Bread Dough 8½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp. fine sea salt
¾ cup melted pork or beef lard (or vegetable shortening)
2½ cups hot water (140 degrees)
Parchment paper cut into 28 (5-by-5inch) squares
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center. Add the lard and 2 cups of the water. Stir well with a spatula, until the dough starts coming together. Switch to your hands and add the remaining ½ cup water, kneading until the dough comes together (it will be soft and sticky). Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes (adding more flour as needed), until the dough holds together in a ball and no longer sticks to your fingers. Return the dough to the bowl; cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
This article appears in December 2015.