Chilean Empanadas de Pino (Baked Beef Empanadas with Egg, Olives and Raisins)

Why you’ll love it

• Real Chilean flavor: the classic mix of beef, onion, egg, olive and raisin.
• Make-ahead friendly: the filling is better made the day before.
• A full meal in your hand: one or two empanadas with a fresh salad is dinner.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the pino (filling)

• 1 lb (450 g) beef chuck or sirloin, cut into very small cubes, or lean ground beef
• 3 large yellow onions (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) beef broth

For assembling

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, each cut into 4 wedges or slices
• 10 black olives (pitted, or warn your guests if they have pits)
• 1/3 cup (50 g) raisins
• 1 egg, beaten, for brushing

For the dough

• 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (100 g) lard or butter, melted and still warm
• 3/4 to 1 cup (180 to 240 ml) warm milk (or half milk, half water)

Short on time? Use 10 large store-bought empanada dough rounds for baking (about 6 inches / 15 cm).

Step-by-step method

1. Cook the onions. Heat the lard or oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and translucent but not browned.

2. Add the meat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until it loses its pink color, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

3. Thicken. Sprinkle the flour over the meat, stir 1 minute, then pour in the broth. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes, until juicy but not soupy. Taste and adjust the salt.

4. Cool the pino. Spread the filling on a tray, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. A cold filling keeps the dough from getting soggy.

5. Make the dough. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the warm melted lard and rub it in with your fingers. Add the warm milk little by little and knead 5 minutes, until smooth and soft but not sticky. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

6. Roll out. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 10 balls and roll each one into a circle about 7 inches (18 cm) wide and 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.

7. Fill. Place about 1/3 cup of pino in the center of each circle. Top with a piece of egg, 1 olive and 4 or 5 raisins.

8. Fold the Chilean way. Brush the edge with a little water. Fold the top of the circle down over the filling, then fold the two sides in toward the center, and finally fold the bottom edge up over them to make a closed rectangle. Press well to seal and place seam side down.

9. Brush and bake. Brush the empanadas with the beaten egg and prick the top once with a fork. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden.

10. Rest and serve. Let them rest 5 minutes before serving, because the filling is very hot. Serve with pebre or a simple tomato and onion salad.

How to know it is done

The empanadas are ready when the crust is deep golden and shiny all over, the bottoms are browned and the dough sounds firm when you tap it.

Tips for the best result

• Use plenty of onion: in a real pino there is about as much onion as meat, and that is what keeps it juicy.
• Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes so they stay plump in the oven.
• Do not overfill: leave a clean border of dough so the empanadas seal well and do not open while baking.

Storage and reheating

Keep baked empanadas in a closed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes. You can freeze them unbaked on a tray, then store in a bag up to 2 months and bake straight from frozen, adding about 10 minutes.