argentine empanadas
Four weeks in Argentina as a field assistant on a GPS campaign is enough to know when you are in love with a cuisine. The Argentines know how to cook (they’re all Italians, for crying out loud) and dance and drink and smoke and drive like maniacs and look beautiful. I have some favorite foods from what we sampled in restaurants, from the grocery stores, and in the homes of so many kind hosts. The best part was the asados - argentine barbecues that literally had 7-8 courses of MEAT. First we start with morcillas (blood sausages) and chinchulines (organ meat sausages) and then various cuts of beef like lomo and bife de chorizo at the end. You work yourself up to the best cuts, but of course by then I was drunk from all of the flowing red wine and probably had colon cancer to boot. I also loved the morning dose of dulce de leche on tortas warmed over the parilla in camp in the morning.
And then there were the empanadas. I know many countries have their versions of empanadas and let me just state right here that I don’t care for the Chilean rendition of an empanada, no matter how nice their people are. Becky and I were driving outside of Mendoza with the picturesque, snowy Andes as our backdrop when we finally came upon a small town. Nothing was open. It was siesta and we were starving with only 30 minutes to stop for food before we had to head to the next site to set up and make camp. Becky walked into a restaurant where two women were quietly talking over the remains of their lunch. She asked if the owner was around and one of them said, “Oh, he’s asleep - I’ll go wake him for you.” The proprieter came out drowsy-eyed and asked what Becky would like. He deep fried some fresh empanadas and tossed a dozen into a brown paper bag.
Un peso.
Becky gave him three. When she hopped into the truck and tossed me the bag, it was burning hot and oily. Those empanadas were pure heaven to eat. Tiny, golden, hot, and delicious. It wasn’t a one time thing either. Everywhere I went in Argentina, the empanadas were sheer pleasure.
I found this recipe in Saveur years ago and held on to the article because it’s all about Argentina. I’ve posted it before for Sheri, but I never tried it myself until today. I wasn’t planning on baking anything, except that when I looked around at all of the sweet things in the house, I had no appetite. I like savory and for some reason I thought of empanadas. I had what I needed.
The recipe is pretty straightforward and simple. I omitted raisins in the filling because I never really liked them and most of the best empanadas I had didn’t have them either (although it is indeed, authentic). I also omitted the bell pepper because I didn’t have one.
an easy buttery dough
filling: beef, potatoes, onions, egg, scallions, olives, spices
mixing the scallions, egg, olives, and potatoes into the cooked beef, onions, and spices
The dough is super easy to make, but requires a couple of hours for refrigeration. You definitely won’t want to skip that step or else you’ll have a gooey mess and, if you’re anything like me, a lot of swearing. The prep for the filling requires a little time to boil the eggs and potato. Just do your mise en place and it will be a lot less hectic. I subbed beef bouillon for the chicken bouillon and instead of diced beef shoulder I used organic ground beef - just what was handy at the time. The recipe said to divvy up the dough into about 12 golf ball sized rounds. I had 26 rounds and still about 20% leftover filling.
roll the rounds into 5-inch discs
add a heaping spoonful of filling
fold the dough over and rope pinch the edges
ready for baking
They baked up very nicely considering they were baked and not deep fried. I alway have this struggle between authentic recipes and slightly more healthy versions. For instance, true empanadas are deep fried in lard. In fact, the recipe calls for lard, but I used butter which in some odd way seems healthier? Maybe not. I just can’t bring myself to purchase a block of lard - not yet anyway. The filling is flavorful and spicy, but not chemical hot spicy because Argentines fear spicy. You should have seen the Argentine grad students during our annual chili cookoff…
argentine empanadas with a fruity shiraz
que rico!
Empanadas
from Saveur May/June 1999 #35
dough
1 cup water
3/4 cup lard (I used butter)
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
pinch paprika
filling
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
1/2 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced (I omitted)
1/2 chicken bouillon cube (I used beef bouillon paste)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 lb. boneless beef shoulder, finely diced (I used ground beef)
salt
1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled (I used 2 yukon golds)
1/3 cup raisins (I omitted)
8 green Spanish olives, pitted and chopped
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped
For the dough: heat water and lard (butter) in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lard (butter) has melted. Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center and sprinkle a pinch of paprika in the well. Pour a little of the warm liquid in and stir with fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid and work the flour into the dough with your hand until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
For the filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, bell peppers (omitted), bouillon, paprika, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and cumin, and cook until onions are soft. Add beef, season to taste with salt, and cook until beef is browned. Place filling in a large bowl and when cooled, add potatoes, raisins (omitted), olives, scallions, and egg. Mix.
Preheat oven to 400F. Tear off pieces of dough to roll about 12 (24) golf-sized balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough balls on lightly floured surface into 5″ circles. Place 3 tbsp of filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold over and press edges firmly to seal. Rope pinch the edges tightly. Place empanadas on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
a sliver of the moon
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Hi there! First things first: your site is amasing! I love the pictures and I love the food. It just makes me want to go to my kitchen and try your recipes. Congratulations!
Seconds things second: I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina and I just loved to see that you liked my country and our food (and wines too). Your empanadas turned really good. I do bake them too but I have to admit that deep fryed are better. Hope you can come again soon to discover more of the beautiful places and great food we have here. Saludos, Silvia
October 24th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Silvia - thank you for your sweet comment. So nice to hear from someone in Argentina! I really enjoyed my time there even though it was a “work” trip, we managed to have a lot of fun. I realize I barely saw the country (only BA briefly, Mendoza, and San Juan), so this means I need to return to continue exploring the countryside, meeting wonderful people, and eating more of that awesome cuisine! I still remember having my first taste of membrillo - mmmmm!
December 10th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Jen,
I made the empanadas for the 2nd time using your recipe - it was with a bunch of middle-schoolers that I’m teaching a cooking elective to. I wish I had taken some pictures - they turned out really well. We added a step by brushing the empanadas with egg yolk before baking them. The kids said they tasted amazing - best mini meat pie ever. You gotta love ‘em.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
HB - hey girlfriend! That is so totally cute that you made these with middle-schoolers! What an awesome idea :) You rock!!!
December 16th, 2007 at 1:22 am
I used another recipe before i found yours…and…MADE A DISASTER! I gave up and went to the market and bought pre made pie crust…BAD IDEA! My mother was born in Argentina…she used to make such great empanadas. She passed away and now I’m tyring to duplicate hers. I got the filling down, now I’m going to try to make this dough. Thank you for posting! :)
Cindy
December 20th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Cindy - you’re welcome. I hope they worked out for you!
January 27th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Hi Jen! My first encounter with your blog. It’s amazing, I think from now on I’m hooked! With regards to forming the dough and making the rope pinch, I wish you were more specific and did it step-by-step. I’m kinda new to this and I don’t know what you meant when you said to “rope-pinch.” I love, love your photos and recipes.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Mel - thanks for your nice words :) Sorry I wasn’t more specific. The whole thing was a tad ad hoc and well - I’m not made of spare time ;) I think any sort of pinch on the dough so the filling doesn’t ooze out is good enough. However you want to gussy it up is up to you!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I am going to brave trying to work with dough again because of this recipe. It is similar to the Polish pierogi, in many ways, though with frying rather than boiling and pan searing. Though i guess I’ll bake mine, too. Frying seems messy. Yours look so perfect in the photo that I feel a little intimidated, but I’ll give it a try! Oh, and you should try rendered leaf lard (pig lard). It is a monounsaturated fat like olive oil, actually, but more heat stable, and it won’t burn the way butter does. It is perfectly healthy as well.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Drink,Memory - don’t be intimidated! it’s so easy to do and you don’t have to get fancy with the dough. just fold it over and press it together, it will work out just fine, I swear! good luck :)
March 7th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Hi Jen,
First wanted to tell you how much I love your site. You are amazing - pictures, recipes, food - all so great! I spent 6 months in Argentina last year so was interested in this post. I found that most people eat baked (al horno) empanadas instead of fried…and although beef is traditional, there is some pretty good variety in terms of fillings. The “caprese” is everywhere in Buenos Aires - kind of like a mini-calzone with basil, cheese, and tomato. I think my favorites were acelga y ricotta (chard and ricotta) and higo y nueces (figs and nuts with cheese). These were very urban though. In the outer provinces choices are much more limited, and each province has its own distinctive kind of empanada. Oh, and I’ve heard that the best empanadas are the kind that squirt hot oil and meat juice down your chin when you bite into them….yum?
You are so right about the spicy thing - my (American) friend and I happened upon a bottle of Tabasco sauce about 5 months into our stay and doused everything with it because we were so spice-deprived!
March 11th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Mia - oh wow, now I’m craving empanadas! :) We didn’t get to sample nearly as many varieties as you did, but we were short on time in the towns since we were doing field work. Thanks for sharing!!
April 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
i am so glad to found your website…..i am so impressed with you……..finally i found a person who like to show a lot of pictures for everything……….
By the way, thanks a lot because thanks to you i am going to make my rag quilt…..the explination with that detail and pictures step by step is hard to find….( and i am very visual person, i like see the picture and figured out by myself what they mean But no always get it right)……also i am going to make the empanada argentina……..and i will check all the recipes.
Have a good day
your new fan Sonia Trott
April 7th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Sonia - I too like lots of pictures when I’m browsing a recipe :) Thanks for your comment! :)
May 1st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Nice post. The only curious note is the fork in the final photos. Empanadas are finger food in Argentina!
May 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Dan - yeah, I didn’t want to bite it and then put it back to shoot it ;)
August 21st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Hello, Jen,
This is a nice post. Just a quick question. How many empanadas does this recipe yield?
–Luka Oasis
August 27th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Luke - it’s been a while since I made these, but I seem to recall at least 2 dozen (if you make them about the size of your palm).
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Found this recipe through a google search, tried it out on my Argentine husband and his cousin, and they loved them. I made over 30 and they didn’t last two days. I must admit, I was surprised as I kept looking at your site that you weren’t some old Argentine grandma but instead are a young Chinese American woman. I am too so the recipe coming from you seemed just right. Thank you for this great site!
September 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Janet - thanks! I got the recipe from Saveur magazine. I spent a month in Argentina ten years ago and fell in love with the food there. LOVE IT :) Good on ya!
September 21st, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I’m Argentinian and hey this empanadas look FANTASTIC!! in fact all the recipes look fantastic, Go Jen you are good!!
September 21st, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Cecilia - thank you :) What I wouldn’t give for a piping hot empanada in Mendoza right now!!
September 28th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I GOOGLED EMPANADAS DE CHOCLO AND FOUND YOUR SITE. MY MOTHER PASSED 4 YRS AGO AND DONT REMEMBER HOW EXACTLY TO MAKE THEM. I MAKE MY BEEF ONES LIKE YOU,THEY ARE GRREEATT! ! IF POSSIBLE HELP ME OUT…
September 30th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Edie - Hmm, sorry. I have never had an empanada de choclo, so I don’t know how to make them :(