Empanada de Pino

Instructions

1. 1 Make the dough by combining flour and salt, then cutting in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the warm water and knead briefly until a smooth dough forms. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for one hour.
2. 2 For the pino filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook for about ten minutes until very soft and translucent, stirring often. The large quantity of onion is essential to a proper Chilean empanada.
3. 3 Add the ground beef, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper to the onions. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, for about eight minutes until browned. Stir in the raisins and remove from heat. Let the filling cool completely before assembling.
4. 4 Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius. Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to about three millimetres thick and cut circles roughly fifteen centimetres in diameter using a small plate or large cutter as a guide.
5. 5 Place about three tablespoons of cooled pino filling on one half of each dough circle. Add one olive and a quarter of hard-boiled egg to each empanada. These traditional additions provide bursts of briny and creamy flavour throughout.
6. 6 Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly to seal, then fold and crimp the sealed edge decoratively by twisting it over itself along the curve, which is the traditional Chilean repulgue technique.
7. 7 Place the assembled empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with beaten egg wash for a glossy, deep golden finish. Bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
8. 8 Remove from the oven and let the empanadas rest for five minutes before serving. They are traditionally eaten by hand, often accompanied by pebre, a fresh Chilean salsa of tomatoes, onion, coriander, and chilli.