flipEmpanadas de pino
Empanadas de pino
Why this dish? When Bernardo proclaimed independence and became Supreme Director in 1817, empanadas were already the emblematic dish of large Chilean gatherings. On a festive table in Santiago, they were served by the dozens to celebrate a victory or a national holiday — a delicious symbol of the nascent fatherland.
A golden baked wheat turnover filled with a melting *pino*: finely minced beef, slowly melted onion, cumin and ají, enhanced with a raisin, an olive, and a quarter of hard-boiled egg. Crispy outside, juicy inside.
The day we swore independence, there were empanadas on every table in Santiago — that is how my people celebrate what they hold dear. Let the *pino* simmer long, the onion must melt until sweet, and forget neither the olive nor the raisin, nor the egg that surprises in the center. A touch of ají, no more, for the fatherland wishes to be ardent but not brutal. Bite into it hot, and drink a glass of the country's wine to the health of Chile.
- •Wheat flour and lard — for the dough (envelope)
- •Beef, minced with a knife — a good portion (heart of the pino)
- •Onions — in large quantity (melting base of the pino)
- •Cumin, ají de color, salt — to taste (signature seasoning)
- •Raisins, olives, hard-boiled eggs — a few (traditional garnishes)
Empanadas de pino
A golden baked wheat turnover filled with a melting *pino*: finely minced beef, slowly melted onion, cumin and ají, enhanced with a raisin, an olive, and a quarter of hard-boiled egg. Crispy outside, juicy inside.
Why this dish? When Bernardo proclaimed independence and became Supreme Director in 1817, empanadas were already the emblematic dish of large Chilean gatherings. On a festive table in Santiago, they were served by the dozens to celebrate a victory or a national holiday — a delicious symbol of the nascent fatherland.
The day we swore independence, there were empanadas on every table in Santiago — that is how my people celebrate what they hold dear. Let the *pino* simmer long, the onion must melt until sweet, and forget neither the olive nor the raisin, nor the egg that surprises in the center. A touch of ají, no more, for the fatherland wishes to be ardent but not brutal. Bite into it hot, and drink a glass of the country's wine to the health of Chile.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour and lard — for the dough (envelope)
- Beef, minced with a knife — a good portion (heart of the pino)
- Onions — in large quantity (melting base of the pino)
- Cumin, ají de color, salt — to taste (signature seasoning)
- Raisins, olives, hard-boiled eggs — a few (traditional garnishes)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (T55) — 500 g (dough)
- Lard — 120 g (crispy dough)
- Salted warm water — 200 ml (to bind the dough)
- Ground beef — 500 g (heart of the pino)
- Sliced onions — 4 large (melting base of the pino)
- Ground cumin — 1 teaspoon (signature spice)
- Sweet paprika (ají de color) — 1 tablespoon (color and mild heat)
- Raisins — 1 handful (garnish)
- Black olives — 12 (garnish)
- Hard-boiled eggs — 3 (garnish)
Method
- Prepare the pino: cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes until soft, add the beef, cumin, paprika, and salt, cook, then let cool (ideally overnight, as tradition dictates).
- Dough: rub the flour with the lard, add the salted warm water, knead, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out and cut 15 cm discs. Fill each with a spoonful of pino, a raisin, an olive, and a quarter of hard-boiled egg.
- Fold into a half-moon, seal the edges with the traditional pleat, and brush with beaten egg.
- Bake at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot.
How it was made : The *empanada de pino* comes from the Hispanic turnover adapted to Criollo products. The *pino* was prepared the day before to let the flavors meld, and the empanadas were baked in the wood-fired oven of the hacienda. The raisin-olive-egg trio remains the Chilean signature, distinct from Argentine empanadas.
The contemporary twist : A batch of miniature golden bites, served with *pebre* (fresh tomato-onion-coriander-ají sauce) for dipping, to transport the whole table to Chile.
Sources : Eugenio Pereira Salas, Apuntes para la historia de la cocina chilena, 1943 · Rachel Laudan, Cuisine and Empire
Bernardo O'Higgins · Charactorium
