Question

recipe for empanadas de pino from chile

Answer 1

Here’s a classic Chilean recipe for empanadas de pino (baked beef empanadas) — includes dough, pino filling, assembly and baking. Yields about 8–10 large empanadas (or 16–20 medium).

Ingredients

Dough
- 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 100–120 g (7–8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter or a mix butter + lard (traditional uses some lard)
- 1 egg
- 150–180 ml (2/3–3/4 cup) warm milk (or water)

Pino (beef filling)
- 500 g (1 lb) lean beef (finely chopped by knife or ground)
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2–3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- 1½–2 tsp ground cumin
- 1–2 tsp sweet paprika (or a mix sweet + smoked to taste)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- ½ cup (120 ml) beef stock or water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8–10 pitted black olives, halved
- 2–3 tbsp raisins, soaked in warm water (or a little rum) and drained
- 3 hard‑boiled eggs, cut into quarters

To finish
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Method

1. Make the dough
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut the cold butter (and lard if using) into small pieces and work into the flour with fingertips or a pastry cutter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg and start adding warm milk a little at a time, mixing until you get a soft, smooth dough (you may not need all the milk). Knead briefly (1–2 minutes).
- Shape into a ball, wrap or cover, and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Make the pino
- Heat the lard/oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until soft and translucent, about 15–20 minutes (you can lightly caramelize for more flavor but don’t burn).
- Add the chopped or ground beef and break it up; cook until browned. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
- Pour in the beef stock/water and simmer until the liquid reduces and the mixture is fairly dry but moist — not soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Let the pino cool to room temperature.

3. Assemble empanadas
- Preheat oven to 200–220 °C (400–430 °F). Line baking sheets with parchment or lightly oil.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 2–3 mm thick. Cut circles about 16–20 cm (6–8 in) for large empanadas (or 10–12 cm for smaller).
- Place about 2–3 tbsp (for medium) up to 4–5 tbsp (large) of pino in the center of each disc. Add 1/4 hard‑boiled egg, 1–2 olive halves and 1–2 raisins on top of the meat. Don’t overfill.
- Fold the dough over to form a half-moon. Seal edges by pressing with a fork or making a repulgue (traditional pleated seal). Make a small vent or prick top so steam can escape. Brush with beaten egg.

4. Bake
- Bake in the preheated oven 20–30 minutes (20–25 min for medium, up to 30 min for large) until golden brown. Serve hot.

Tips and variations
- Traditional flavor comes from cooking the onions slowly and using some lard.
- You can use finely chopped beef instead of ground for a more authentic texture.
- If you prefer fried empanadas, use a sturdier dough and deep-fry at 175–185 °C (350–365 °F) until golden.
- Empanadas freeze well: assemble and freeze raw on a tray, then transfer to a bag; bake from frozen adding a few minutes to baking time.

Enjoy — these empanadas are classic for September Fiestas Patrias in Chile but great any time!