flipEmpanadas de Cordero Patagónico (Patagonian Lamb Turnovers)
Empanadas de Cordero Patagónico (Patagonian Lamb Turnovers)
Why this dish? Cristina was born and built her political career in Patagonia, in Río Gallegos and El Calafate (Santa Cruz province), a land of sheep farming par excellence. The Patagonian lamb empanada is the typical turnover of her region: nomadic food you can take with you, hold in one hand, perfect for the long distances of this vast province.
Small pastry turnovers filled with hand-chopped lamb, melted onion, cumin, and sweet paprika (pimentón), sealed with a twisted edge (repulgue) and baked. Hot, spicy, eaten with the fingers.
En el Sur, allá en Santa Cruz, the empanada is made with cordero, with lamb — there's no better meat in the world, te lo digo yo. The meat is cut with a knife, never a machine, otherwise it has no soul. Lots of onion that melts slowly, cumin, a little pimentón, and we let the filling cool before closing, otherwise the dough tears. The repulgue, that braided edge, is the signature: from the shape of the fold, among us, you already know what's inside.
- •Patagonian lamb, hand-chopped — according to batch (filling, umami)
- •Onion — in abundance (melted base)
- •Cumin and pimentón (dried sweet paprika) — by hand measure (signature spices)
- •Beef fat or lard — for dough and filling (tenderness)
- •Wheat flour — for dough discs (wrapper)
Empanadas de Cordero Patagónico (Patagonian Lamb Turnovers)
Small pastry turnovers filled with hand-chopped lamb, melted onion, cumin, and sweet paprika (pimentón), sealed with a twisted edge (repulgue) and baked. Hot, spicy, eaten with the fingers.
Why this dish? Cristina was born and built her political career in Patagonia, in Río Gallegos and El Calafate (Santa Cruz province), a land of sheep farming par excellence. The Patagonian lamb empanada is the typical turnover of her region: nomadic food you can take with you, hold in one hand, perfect for the long distances of this vast province.
En el Sur, allá en Santa Cruz, the empanada is made with cordero, with lamb — there's no better meat in the world, te lo digo yo. The meat is cut with a knife, never a machine, otherwise it has no soul. Lots of onion that melts slowly, cumin, a little pimentón, and we let the filling cool before closing, otherwise the dough tears. The repulgue, that braided edge, is the signature: from the shape of the fold, among us, you already know what's inside.
Ingredients (period version)
- Patagonian lamb, hand-chopped — according to batch (filling, umami)
- Onion — in abundance (melted base)
- Cumin and pimentón (dried sweet paprika) — by hand measure (signature spices)
- Beef fat or lard — for dough and filling (tenderness)
- Wheat flour — for dough discs (wrapper)
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulder — 500 g, hand-chopped (filling)
- Onions — 3 large, sliced (melting base)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (spice)
- Pimentón (sweet paprika) — 1 tsp (signature spice)
- Chili flakes (ají molido) — ½ tsp (spicy kick)
- Green onions, chopped — 1 bunch (freshness)
- Empanada dough discs (tapas) — 12 (wrapper)
- Egg, beaten — 1 (glaze)
Method
- Melt the onions over low heat until translucent, add the lamb and sauté.
- Season with cumin, pimentón, chili, and salt; cook for a few minutes, then add the green onions.
- Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool completely (ideally refrigerate for 1 hour): this is the secret to keeping the empanadas from opening.
- Fill each disc with a spoonful of filling without overloading.
- Moisten the edge, fold into a half-moon, and seal with the repulgue (small twisted pleats) or with a fork.
- Brush with egg and bake at 200 °C for 18–20 minutes until nicely browned.
How it was made : The empanada arrived in South America with Spanish colonists (heir to the stuffed pastries of al-Andalus), then varied region by region: with beef and cumin in Salta, with chicken in Buenos Aires, and with lamb in Patagonia, where sheep farming has dominated since the late 19th century. Each province has its filling and its repulgue.
The contemporary twist : The filling is coded by the shape of the repulgue (a different fold for lamb, beef, cheese): an empanada buffet where the eye recognizes each flavor before the mouth.
Cristina Kirchner · Charactorium
