I always knew that empanadas were a staple in South American Cuisine! Well my friends.....Empanadas are EVERYWHERE here in Argentina! You can find them on every corner - In the bakeries, pasta shops, pizza shops, deli/kiosks, coffee shops and all restaurants. The most common varieties here are Carne (beef), Pollo (Chicken), and Jamon y Queso (Ham and Cheese). For about $5 or $6 pesos each ($1-1.25 American dollars).....you can beat this on the go snack. Heck...grab a few and you have a bargain meal!
I decided to take a stab at making them at our apartment. I tried a few times, testing out different filling combo's and different dough options. After lot's of taste testing (best part), we decided that the empanada discs from San Jose pasta shop were hands down the winner!! This pasta shop makes everything fresh and from scratch everyday. We are a little spoiled for sure. I will go into more detail about this amazing place in another post. I paid $9.50 peso's (Under 2 American dollars) for 12 discs. When you open them up, they smell just like fresh homemade pie dough.....heavenly! I am going to be at a loss when we get back to the states!! Guess i'll just have to start experimenting with dough when we get back : )
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| Fresh empanada dough |
I found it easiest to prepare the fillings the night before so they are cooled down when you are ready to fill the dough. This time we used ground beef and mixed half with rice and half with potato. I cook the ground beef the same I would if I were preparing it for taco's. Brown it in a frying pan, drain any excess fat and season the meat any way you like. Here's where you get creative - everyone here has their own "carne" recipe for the filling that makes their empanada unique. Be daring an have fun with this part! The taste of your filling will make all the difference!
Here is an example of what my 2 fillings used looked like.
The next step is stuffing the empanadas. I typically get 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons of filling in each one. I find it easiest to place the disc in the center of your palm and use that as a little cup so the filling doesn't end up falling everywhere. Here's a couple pictures filling each kind and closing it up.
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Stuffing the beef and rice
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| Stuffing the beef and potato |
Once you have the empanada firmly pressed closed, you can use whatever technique you like to "decorate" the edge the same way you would for a pie crusts edge. The most popular method used here in Argentina is the rolled method. I've been practicing that one a lot and think i finally have it down. Here's a couple finshing touch pictures below.
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| The rolling closure |
Fancy pie pinch I learned from my mom while making pierogi's growing up
Once all of your empanadas are sealed and pinched or rolled, place them on a baking tray and put them into a pre-heated oven, 350 degrees or so. It's kind of hard to tell here since there isn't a temperature gauge on our oven. Our options are high flame.....or low flame....fun times! Keep an eye on them and bake until they are a nice golden brown. Yes!!! They bake empanadas here! WAAYYY better than the deep fried ones we are used to in the United States. Trust me...i like my deep fried treats more than some people may realize, but baking empanadas is the way to go!
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| Cooling off a bit |
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| Dinner is served |
ENJOY!! I know we will!!
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