Chilean Empanada

My mother is from Chile and these have been a staple of our household for years. I have searched and searched and never seem to find the right one, so here is our family favorite. My mom likes to sprinkle sugar on hers. I prefer a little mustard to dip it in. We all have our own cravings. This recipe makes about a dozen large empanadas, depending on the size.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 530 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup water
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup chopped black olives
• 1 cup shortening, melted

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Step 3

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in the melted butter until the onion is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ground pork and cook until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes more; drain the fat from the skillet. Stir the eggs, raisins, and olives into the mixture. Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl; pour into the skillet and stir until the liquid thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 4

Whisk the milk and melted shortening together in a bowl until evenly blended. Stir the flour and salt together in a separate large bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until well mixed into a dough. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Place the dough onto a lightly-floured board and roll to about 1/8-inch thick; cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or glass. Drop equal portions of the pork mixture into the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half and press edges with a fork to seal. Brush the tops of the empanadas with beaten egg.