Viva Chile!!!!

This is a packed post, with a recipe story and tradition.

Here goes...

So James served a mission in Chile, so he spent two full years in Chile and loved it. Ever year since we have been engaged and married he tells on about September 18th begin the day Chile received it's independence. It was such a big holiday like the fourth of July here in the United States.

not this is not a Texas flag....

He always wanted to celebrate it, but would remember the day after so then whats the point.

This year however we were grocery shopping and he said he wanted to make Chilean Empenadas,

(I heard Enchiladas). Anyways we didnt have time at all so I thunk he forgot. This morning we went grocery shopping again (we eat a lot of food apparently), and totally forgot all about it again then he was off to work.

I remembered this afternoon so I was determined to figure out what Chilean enchiladas were and make them for him.

Well if you look up "Chilean Enchiladas" you will find nothing but mexican enchiladas then I finally figured out he meant empenadas and I just heard him wrong, silly me.

I made them they were amazing and I will for sure be making more of them throughout the year and especially on September 18th.

They are super tasty, and dont let the raisins and hard boiled egg deter they only add to the flavor. I did however make some without olives since I absolutely despise olives but whatever. The crust is kind of like a pie crust but so much better. When James got home he said they were really good and was super excited that I remembered and made them for him. I also had my neighbor try them who served a mission in Argentina and she said they were just like the baked empanadas in Argentina. Gold start for me.

The only bad thing is they are kind of time consuming but definitely worth the wait. Hopefully your children arent crying the whole time you are trying to stuff them, it slowed it down a bit

Dough:

4 cups flour

1-2 teaspoons salt

2-3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

12 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled

3/4 - 1 cup water

2 egg yolks

Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt and the sugar. 

Blend the butter and shortening (or lard) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with two knives, until fairly well blended. 

Whisk the egg yolks wiht 3/4 cups water. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water/egg mixture, a little at a time until the dough starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more water/egg a little bit at a time as necessary (you made need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough will seem a bit shaggy until it has thoroughly chilled. 

Cover the dough with saran wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. (Dough can also be kept overnight (or a couple of days) in the refrigerator) Dough should be soft and smooth, and not elastic - if you poke a hole in it with your finger, the indentation should remain.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll into desired thickness.

Makes enough dough for 10-12 large empenadas.

Filling:

3 large onions, chopped

1 pound ground beef

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped olives

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

Prepare empanada dough and chill.

Cook the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil and butter until softened. Add the ground beef, cumin, chile powder, paprika, beef bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat, until browned. Add the flour and continue to cook for 5 or 10 minutes more.

Remove the meat mixture and let cool. The beef mixture will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Shape the empanadas: Separate the dough into golf ball size pieces, and roll into smooth balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 6 inch diameter circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the beef filling, a few raisins and some chopped olives, and a slice of hard boiled egg to the middle of the circle.

Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling, to make a semi-circle.

Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers. Brush the sealed edge lightly with water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal.

Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons milk, and brush the empanadas with the mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

xoxo Nicole