Empanadas salteñas
Empanadas salteñas: small, juicy baked beef empanadas from Salta
In Salta, in Argentina's far northwest, empanadas are small, sealed with a tight twisted edge (the repulgue) and so juicy that locals eat them leaning forward with their feet apart. The filling is hand-cut beef with potato, spring onion, cumin and paprika, plus chopped hard-boiled egg; they are eaten at Sunday gatherings, at peñas with folk music and on any public holiday. The mistake that ruins them is filling them while the beef is still warm: the fat melts the pastry. Chill the filling until it is firm. Chef's tip: add a few spoonfuls of the cooking juices to the cold filling; they set to a jelly in the fridge and melt in the oven, which is where the famous juiciness comes from.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour with 3 ½ oz lard or butter, then add 1 cup warm salted water bit by bit and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
35 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add 1 onion and cook for 6 minutes until soft. Add 1 ⅛ lb beef rump or chuck and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until no longer red.
11 minStep 3: Stir in 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp salt, then add ½ cup beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Mince must be cooked through to 160°F; diced beef should show no red.
5 minStep 4: Take off the heat and stir in 4 spring onions and 1 potato. Spread the filling on a tray to cool quickly.
Step 5: Cover and chill the filling for at least 1 hour (or overnight), until cold and firm. Stir in 2 eggs just before filling.
60 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 425°F (fan 400°F) and line two baking trays. Roll the dough out 2–3 mm thick and cut 12 cm rounds; reroll the scraps once. You should get about 24.
Step 7: Put a heaped spoonful of filling in the centre of each round, wet the edge with water, fold over into a half-moon and press to seal. Twist and fold the edge over itself to make a rope pattern.
Step 8: Stand the empanadas on the trays with the twisted edge on top, like little boats, and brush with 1 egg.
Step 9: Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden brown. Rest for 5 minutes before eating, as the juice inside is very hot.
20 minStep 10: Eat warm. Uncooked empanadas freeze well on a tray; bake from frozen for 22–25 minutes. Chill baked leftovers within 2 hours and reheat in the oven until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does empanadas salteñas take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of lard or butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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