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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE EMPANADA KITCHEN & PANTRY
WITHIN THE CRUST
Cooked Flank Steak
Poached Chicken
EMPANADA DOUGH
Masa Dough
Cornmeal Dough
Cornmeal and Cassava Dough
Cassava or Yuca Dough
Master Dough
Bread Dough
Salteña Dough
Pastéis Dough
Flaky Dough
Sweet Plantain Dough
VEGETABLE, NUT & CHEESE EMPANADAS

Spicy Potato and Peanut Empanadas
Cheesy Spinach Empanadas
Corn and Spanish Smoked Paprika Turnovers
Roquefort and Walnut Mini Pies
Cheese and Loroco Masa Pies
Black Bean and Cheese “Domino” Pies
Flaky Hearts of Palm Pillows
Fried Cassava and Cheese Turnovers
Light-as-Air Onion and Cheese Pies
BEEF & PORK EMPANADAS

Hand-Cut Beef, Egg, and Green Onion Empanadas
Famous Beef, Raisin, and Olive Hand Pies
Golden and Juicy Beef and Potato Pies
Sweet Plantain and Beef Turnovers
Beef and Dried Chile Masa Pies
Cumin Shredded Beef Empanadas
Ravioli-Shaped Pies with Stir-Fried Beef, Onions, and Peppers
Flaky Ground Beef and Herb Pillows
Crispy Cassava and Beef Empanadas
Sugar-Coated Pork and Raisin Turnovers
Sweet and Savory Pork Pies
Classic Ham and Cheese Pockets
Chorizo and Potato Pies with Tomatillo Salsa
CHICKEN EMPANADAS
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Empanadas
Chicken Masa Pies with Lettuce and Radishes
Sweet and Savory Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper, and Olive Pies
Chicken Pies with Pecan and Yellow Pepper Sauce
Stewed Chicken and Annatto Corn Empanadas
Green Tomatillo Chicken Stew Empanadas
Golden Chicken, Potato, and Green Pea Pies
FISH & SEAFOOD EMPANADAS

Shrimp and Tomato Stew Flaky Pillows
Creamy Tuna and Roasted Red Pepper Pies
Maria José’s Tuna, Jalapeño, and Tomato Turnovers
Cod and Potato Turnovers with Stewed Tomatoes and Olives
DESSERT EMPANADAS
Caramel-Apple Pies
Candied Pineapple Pies
Banana Pastries Coated with Sugar and Cinnamon
Guava and Cream Cheese Pastries
Jam and Cream Cheese Mini Pies
SALSAS
Knife-Cut Parsley Sauce
Red Pepper Salsa
Creamy Peanut Sauce with Toppings
Avocado Salsa
Mango and Avocado Salsa
Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and Tomato Sauce
Yellow Pepper Aioli
Raw Tomatillo Salsa
SOURCES
INDEX OF SEARCHABLE TERMS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve always been a curious person. I love boxes, baskets, and anything that
can hide treasures within. When I hold an unopened box in my hand I get the
same feeling that I experience when I hold an empanada for the first time:
fascination and a curiosity to discover what scrumptious surprises lie hidden
inside. It’s this curiosity that has made it so fascinating for me to research the
history of food. It’s what leads me to want to learn why we eat what we eat,
where our food comes from, and how it has evolved over time. After
sleuthing like a detective and finding some answers, I always feel compelled
to guess where food will go next. Few stories enthrall me more than the
evolution of the empanada, because we can trace it back to ancient times but
it continues to evolve today.
AT THE BEGINNING
The name empanada derives from the Latin in panis, or “in bread.” In
Spanish, empanar means “to encase in bread,” and empanadas are hand-held
pockets stuffed with a marvelous array of fillings. Many cultures have a
tradition of hand-held pies: Italy has calzones, Jamaica has patties, India has
samosas, and Britain has pasties. Nevertheless, no other culture has a larger
compendium of hand-held pies than Latin America.
Empanadas have an early history wrapped in wars and conquests. The very
first empanadas most likely originated in Persia, where travelers and laborers
alike turned to this humble food for comfort and nourishment in ancient
times. In fact, we can trace the origins of hand-held pies as far back as the
year 250 BCE, and to the territory that is modern-day Iran. In order to
preserve foods, the Persians used to encase fillings in rustic dough. Not only
did the dough keep the fillings from spoiling, but it also made them highly
portable. The dough itself was not necessarily meant to be eaten at first,
although it morphed into an edible case. These moveable meals were ideal for
nomadic cultures, shepherds, and for the legions of soldiers who traveled
constantly in their quest to expand the Muslim empire. Today, in the Middle
East, we can still find fatays or esfiha (made with wheat flour and filled with
lamb), which are perhaps the closest relatives of the first filled pastries.
Empanadas appeared wherever the Ottoman Empire left its imprint and began
to be known under different names in the many countries the Ottomans
conquered. Once they found their way into Spain’s territories, however, all of
these bread-encrusted meals became known in the Spanish language simply
as “empanadas.” And by the time the Muslims were expelled from Spain in
the 1400s, these hand-held pies had spread throughout Europe. For example,
ancient Romans encased sheep’s milk cheese in thin sheets of pastry similar
to phyllo dough.
EMPANADAS TO GO
Empanadas have always been lauded for their portable characteristics, and as
convenient on-the-go sustenance the empanada was a favorite of pilgrims.
Ancient stone sculptures in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia,
Spain, illustrate scenes of pilgrims in search of Saint James’s tomb, carrying
empanadas for their long expeditions.
Being tantalizingly delicious and portable is precisely why empanadas were

able to spread around the world. Shortly after the Ottoman Empire fell, the
Spanish Empire began its global expansion, and consequently the territory
occupied by empanadas also spread. Wherever the conquistadores went, so
did these edible parcels. The first empanadas arrived in the Americas in the
early 1500s. The most common fillings consisted of minced lamb, studded
with raisins and seasoned with spices in the Arab style; fish, as was
customary in Galicia; and cheese, as was traditional in some Middle Eastern
and Mediterranean cultures. To this day, the most frequently found
empanadas in the Latin American landscape still feature fillings that derived
from those dating back to medieval times—most particularly from the
Moorish mishmash of meat, onions, dried fruits, eggs, and spices.
What happened next was numerically astonishing, as each Latin American

country began to multiply empanada recipes exponentially, giving these their
own twists and replacing the traditional ingredients with those native to each
area. By now, each country and region within each country offers a plethora
of permutations. So, while the sixteenth century may have been when hand-
held pies entered the culinary landscape of Latin America, the twenty-first
century marks the period when empanadas have reached the zenith of
popularity. Today, empanadas are more in vogue than ever before.
EMPANADAS TODAY
Empanadas are still as portable today as they were centuries ago, and this
makes them ideal for modern times when eating on the go is the norm. In
Latin America, children often find empanadas lovingly tucked into their
lunchboxes, and busy people carry boxes filled with empanadas home after
work to set up for impromptu entertaining. In fact, you will find empanadas
—and not tortillas, which are not found past Central America as they are
replaced by other flatbreads such as arepas and cachapas—on tables from
Mexico all the way to Argentina.
Empanadas in modern-day Latin America are enjoyed in restaurants, sold by

street food vendors, and prepared by home cooks alike. Some are sold by
merchants near sports stadiums or bus terminals, such as the Guatemalan
peanut and chocolate empanadas. Other empanadas are solely found in the
vicinity of churches on Sunday mornings, such as the Colombian empanadas
de parroquia or “parish empanadas,” filled with beef and potatoes. Another
famous example of these empanadas is called vaticana (“from the Vatican”),
filled solely with potatoes, which are sold in the porticos and plazas of
churches in Medellín. In fact, it is said that many churches in Colombia have
been built and restored thanks to empanada bake sales. Since empanadas are
not expensive to make, selling them is often a great means to raise funds.
Empanadas also have an economic role in the lives of many Latin American
home cooks (particularly women), who depend on selling empanadas to
sustain their families. Most of the street vendors who sell empanadas are
widows, single mothers, or low-income women who use the money provided
by their sales to raise their children and to help their families subsist.
Some empanadas are traditionally eaten only during certain holidays, such as
the empanadas Gallegas stuffed with tuna, which make their appearance
every year during the Lenten season throughout the entire Latin American
continent. Others, such as the pastelitos de membrillo (“quince empanadas”),
are commonly eaten mid-afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea in Argentina as
everyday fare. Empanadas are so central to Latin American culture that many
places hold entire festivals around them (for example, the Fiesta de la
Empanada in Concón, Chile, and the many different fiestas de la Salteña held
from Salta, Argentina, to Cochabamba, Bolivia).
SOMETHING FOR EVERY PALATE

Modern-day Latin American empanadas are stuffed with everything from
corn, cheese, meat, fowl, seafood, vegetables, herbs, and fruits to caramels
(called manjares) and jams, depending on which one of the twenty-one
countries that we call Latin America you happen to be in. Latin American
empanadas also go by different names: dobladas, salteñas, pastéis, rellenitos,
molotes, and pasteles, among them. Some have dry fillings and others, like
the Bolivian salteñas, are often so juicy that you need a spoon to eat them.
Some are spicy, while others are not; some are eaten alone, while others are
doused with sauces. Some empanadas are meant to be eaten at room
temperature, such as those stuffed with rice pudding or custards, while others
must always be enjoyed piping hot, as is the case with most of the fried
empanadas.
Perhaps the most famous Latin American empanadas are those that feature
fillings made of beef, raisins, and olives—a combination that originated with
the Moors and one that is found from Cuba all the way to Argentina. In
Argentina alone, where beef empanadas are particularly popular, this kind of
empanada varies by region. In the northern region of Tucumán, for example,
beef empanadas always feature a moist filling made with knife-cut beef,
while those that hail from Córdoba feature potato in the filling and are always
coated with sugar. Both are beef empanadas, but each one has its own
characteristics. Indeed, every Latin American country features at least one
variation of the classic beef empanada. However, beef empanadas are only
the beginning.
There are as many versions of empanadas as there are cooks. Making an all-
encompassing compendium of empanadas, therefore, is an impossible task.
However, here you’ll find empanadas featuring fillings that represent the
many cultures that have helped to shape the individual cuisines of Latin
America. I offer you, for example, a contemporary Peruvian empanada
featuring a modern filling of the Spanish-influenced ají de gallina (a stew of
pulled chicken in a spicy nut and cheese sauce), and others stuffed with
French-inspired fillings made with béchamel sauce and vegetables. Still
others are filled with the Asian-inspired beef stir-fry called lomo saltado,
which is seasoned with soy sauce. A far departure from the first empanadas
to reach the New World, these are native interpretations using modern
cooking techniques and fused flavors of the cultures that collided in the
American territory, after centuries of culinary history and amalgamation.
NOT ALL EMPANADAS ARE CREATED EQUAL

In addition to the huge variety of fillings and flavors, the shapes, sizes,
textures, types of dough, and methods of preparation vary widely. Some
empanadas are round, some look like small torpedoes or footballs, and others
are shaped like half-moons. You’ll find them in all sizes: Some are tiny and
meant to be enjoyed for a midday snack, while others are very large and
meant to take the place of an entire meal. Some empanadas are sealed
decoratively, while others feature simple crimped edges, and yet others are
square and folded like envelopes. Some are soft, while others are crispy;
some empanadas are fried, while others are grilled or baked.
In Brazil, empanadas are made with flaky pastry dough, while Colombians
use precooked cornmeal to encase theirs. In Mexico and Central America,
you’ll find empanada dough made with nixtamalized corn masa, and in South
America, you’ll find them made with cassava dough.
HOMEMADE AND STOREBOUGHT

Some empanada recipes are carefully guarded by families and many are
passed along generationally. Most recipes are born of happenstance, when
ingredients left over from other meals become the fillings used in making
empanadas. However, those who don’t make their own empanadas can
always count on professional bakers. There are bakeries all over Latin
America that specialize in these stuffed bread parcels, and many become
famous for their own variety of empanadas.
I have clear recollections of shopping at my neighborhood’s bakery in

Guatemala City, where my mother would place advance orders for their
pastries. If I was well behaved, I could usually cajole my mother into
rewarding me with one of the flaky empanadas stuffed with savory beef
sitting behind the glass stand. Just as that bakery was known for a particular
kind of beef empanada, thousands of small mom-and-pop–owned bakeries
around the Americas specialize in their own recipes.
In Latin America, it’s not uncommon for home cooks to buy empanadas to
serve as appetizers (known also as boquitas, aperitivos, botanas, las onces,
pasabocas, or pasapalos, depending on what country you’re in) with a drink
or a glass of wine before a late Sunday lunch or weeknight supper.
Empanadas can be—and, in fact, are—enjoyed at any time of the day.
YES, REAL MEN EAT EMPANADAS

If you don’t believe me, ask South American men. Argentina, Chile, Bolivia,
and Uruguay make up the area of Latin America where empanadas are almost
ritualistic. In Latin America, empanadas break through social class, gender,
and occasion. Rich and poor eat them just the same, and they’re equally at
home at a high society wedding where they’re served with champagne as
they are every afternoon when laborers meet in their barrio (“neighborhood”)
cafés and enjoy them alongside a cup of yerba mate or café con leche.
THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES

It used to be that one bite into an empanada could help us taste the past, but
today it can also predict future culinary trends. New empanada creations are
born every day, limited only by the curiosity of deft cooks who wish to
stretch a few ingredients—perhaps last night’s leftovers, or bits and pieces
that alone don’t amount to much but that in combination offer a succulent
mishmash of flavors—and preserve them inside a crust. Each empanada—
whether it is a traditional kind or a new interpretation—is a parcel of culinary
idiosyncrasy and a gift to the palate.
By now, even most North American children have encountered one form of
hand-held pie or another—perhaps called by a different name, such as
“pocket” or “patty.” However, no matter the name, empanadas have
continued to be an important aspect of our foodways. And today, as the mass
immigration of millions of Latin Americans affects other areas of the world,
empanadas are experiencing a renaissance in other cultures. Take Paris—
considered by so many to be the ultimate culinary Mecca—where food
stores, such as Buena Onda, specialize in Argentinean empanadas. Also in
Paris, there are eateries, such as Clasico Argentino, that offer both sit-down
service and home delivery of empanadas to their customers throughout the
City of Lights. In Frankfurt, Germany, you can purchase a good variety of
empanadas, including those at Empanadiso. And in Berlin, there are also
many places to purchase empanadas including Marques, Restaurant La Batea,
Parakas, and Torito Latino. Even in Toronto, Canada (where I lived for nine
years), you can purchase Chilean empanadas in the city’s famous Kensington
Market. Empanadas are no longer contained in a geographic bubble.
As long as street food, portable meals, and homemade comfort cooking

remain popular, we can expect that the love affair with empanadas will grow
and so will the list of new recipes. And as more and more Latin Americans
migrate to other parts of the world, intermarry, and continue to change the
foodways of their new homes, the popularity of empanadas will continue to
soar. Visit Manhattan, Chicago, or Los Angeles, and you’ll find plenty of
eateries serving empanadas. Even in smaller cities (such as Charlottesville,
Virginia, and Durham, North Carolina, where I live), empanada cafés are
starting to become popular.
ABOUT THIS BOOK

I believe that empanadas are at the backbone of Latin America, uniting
peoples of different cultures. Therefore, I wrote this book as a guide to some
of the most recognized authentic Latin American empanadas. The recipes I
collected here are fun and varied, and they span from Mexico all the way
down to Brazil. They are my favorites, tried and tested to be delicious.
My goal is to provide you with practical recipes that are easy to follow and
that work every time. Since empanada recipes have been traditionally passed
down from one generation to the next, and since we don’t all have a Latin
mother or grandmother standing with us in the kitchen, I hope that you will
feel as though I’m there, next to you, guiding you in a friendly manner, as
you learn to make these individual pastries. My recipes fit the modern cook’s
kitchen. I’ve written them so that you can divide your tasks into smaller ones
that take less time. I give you basic techniques and offer the use of modern
appliances available in most kitchens, in hopes that you will be able to make
empanadas often and with the least possible exertion.
In these pages, you’ll find information on how to shape empanadas with ease,
when to make the fillings (always before the dough), and how to reheat them.
You’ll also find an entire chapter on the best sauces to pair with these
empanadas.
All of the recipes that you’ll find in this book are authentic to Latin America,
and each will tell you where a particular empanada is from. Although all of
the empanadas in this book (e.g., the salteñas and the pastéis) are
traditionally made with different, specific kinds of homemade dough, you can
adapt these recipes to your own purposes and select a different dough to
encase a particular filling. For instance, recipes can be made gluten-free by
selecting a dough made with masa, plantain, or cornmeal instead of flour.
And to save time, most fillings may be wrapped in store-bought empanada
discs found in the freezer section of many Latin American stores and large
grocery store chains around the world.
Spend an afternoon or two crafting these individual pies and you can have
delicious food on hand for weeks to come, if you would prefer to freeze them
for later consumption; follow the instructions on how to freeze each kind,
which I offer you at the end of each recipe.
Making empanadas is a culinary tradition worth keeping and building upon,

and it is my hope that this book will open up the world of authentic Latin
American empanadas for you, and that you will start making them at home
and sharing them with others. I hope, too, that you will be inspired to create
new interpretations that include your favorite flavors. The possibilities are
endless: BLT empanadas, macaroni and cheese empanadas, pizza pies, and
peanut butter and jelly empanaditas, to name just a few. Let your imagination
and your palate guide you. After all, everything tastes better when wrapped in
a crust!
Most of what you’ll need to make empanadas is probably already housed in
your kitchen, so chances are you won’t have to invest in much (if any) special
equipment. Some of the ingredients you’ll need, however, may be new to
you. Use this list, sequenced roughly in order of importance, as your guide
for interpreting those ingredients and tools that you need to familiarize
yourself with before you set out to conquer the craft of empanada making.
EQUIPMENT
TORTILLA PRESS
I use a tortilla press to shape most of the empanada wrappers in this book.
You can find tortilla presses online and in many Latino stores. For the most
part, they’re inexpensive; on average they cost around $20. Some are made
out of wood, but the majority of them are made out of cast iron. Most are 6½
to 7 inches (about 17 cm) in diameter. Larger ones can measure 10 inches (25
cm) in diameter. Most are round, but some are square. The shape or material
they’re made of won’t make a difference in a recipe, but you will need one
that is at least 6½ inches (about 17 cm) wide. If you don’t feel like investing
in one, use a rolling pin instead. You must always line a tortilla press with a
plastic bag (zip-top freezer bags cut open on three sides like a book work
great) or with parchment paper so that the dough won’t stick to the surface
when you press it.
KITCHEN SCALE
I love my kitchen scale and use it a lot. When it comes to baking, I find that
weight measurements yield better results than volume measurements
(particularly when it comes to dividing dough into exact portions so that all
of the empanadas can be the same size in each batch). All of the dough
recipes in the book have been measured both ways, for your convenience.
However, if you can, buy a good kitchen scale.
ZIP-TOP PLASTIC FREEZER BAGS

You will use these to line the tortilla press each time you flatten out dough.
They’re also useful in protecting the surface of your kitchen scale when you
measure out ingredients. You’ll also need plenty of these if you’re freezing
large batches of empanadas.
SHARP KITCHEN SCISSORS

These will come in handy every time you need to cut strings off ingredients,
as well as to cut open the bags used to line your tortilla press.
RULER
Why guess the length and diameter of empanada discs when you can measure
them quickly? I have a stainless-steel ruler that can go directly into my
dishwasher after it’s used.
DUTCH OVEN
I depend on my enamel-coated Dutch ovens when I fry my empanadas
because they’re tall enough that the splatter is minimal, and they keep the oil
at a stable temperature during frying. A 5- or 6-quart (4.7- or 5.7-L) size
works well.
DEEP-FRYING THERMOMETER
This will be important to help you determine the right temperature of oil
before and during frying. Make sure it is a thermometer that is intended for
deep-fat frying.
DEEP-FAT FRYER
I must confess that I don’t own one, but if you have one, you’ll want to use it
to fry larger batches of empanadas. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s
instructions.
CAST-IRON SKILLET
Mine is a sturdy skillet from the Lodge Cast Iron company in Tennessee. It’s
so useful whenever I need to char vegetables for salsas, and to shallow-fry
small batches of tiny empanadas.
BAKING SHEETS OR HALF-SHEET PANS

You’ll need several heavy-duty sheet pans with rimmed sides in order to bake
the empanadas in this book. These are also great to place the empanadas as
you shape them, to chill the empanadas that must be refrigerated before they
can be cooked (to set up their shape), and to freeze them.
PARCHMENT PAPER
Parchment paper is silicone-coated baking paper that prevents food from
sticking to baking sheets; it withstands pretty high temperatures in the oven
without burning. It’s also ideal when cut into small squares to divide raw
empanada dough discs so that they don’t stick together. I prefer the
unbleached kind, but either one works fine. I keep several rolls of this paper
in my kitchen at all times. It can be reused several times before you need to
discard it. Do not substitute waxed paper unless you want your food to taste
like crayon (as the wax melts and sticks to the food) and the paper to ignite in
the oven.
COOLING RACKS
You’ll need at least two metal cooling racks. These are great to cool the
empanadas after baking them. Whenever I fry empanadas, I always set a
cooling rack inside a high-rimmed baking sheet and place the empanadas
there after frying them to drain the excess oil.
GRIDDLE
Some empanadas may be cooked on a griddle. You can use an electric
griddle or, if you have a gas cooktop, use a flat and long griddle pan. Some
griddles have a way to measure their temperature as well.
ASSORTED ROUND COOKIE CUTTERS

Having a collection of round cookie cutters in various sizes will be very
helpful when making empanadas. Of course, you can do as Latin American
cooks have done for centuries and use round plates (or glasses) to cut discs of
different sizes too.
STURDY ROLLING PIN

Every cook has a favorite rolling pin, but I’m partial to the tapered wooden
(French) pins because they make rolling the dough a bit easier by allowing
you to apply pressure throughout the pin, thus producing more evenly
thinned-out dough.
PASTRY CUTTER
You’ll need one whenever square-shaped empanada dough is called for, such
as for the Brazilian pastéis in this book.
MEASURING CUPS
No, they’re not created equal. Glass measuring cups are good only for
liquids. You’ll need a set to measure the solid ingredients (such as flours and
sugar) too.
MEASURING SPOONS
A reliable set of measuring spoons will help you so you don’t have to guess.
This is particularly important when making dough, which requires measuring
precise amounts.
POTATO MASHER
It will come in handy when pureeing plantains and cassava (yuca) for the
empanadas in this book.
FOOD PROCESSOR
Most of the dough recipes in this book are made entirely by hand, but there
are a few exceptions, for which a food processor is preferred. A food
processor will also help you to pulverize some of the beef fillings and other
ingredients.
BLENDER
Without a doubt, it is one of the most hardworking appliances in the Latin
American kitchen. Use it to make sauces and to fully puree ingredients as
called for in this book.
INGREDIENTS
JALAPEÑO PEPPERS, CILANTRO & CILANTRO FLOWERS,
AJÍES CACHUCHAS, POBLANO PEPPERS, TOMATILLOS
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
I prefer the unbleached kind. If you buy it in bulk, like me, keep it in your
freezer for up to two years. Bring it back to room temperature before using.
MASA HARINA AND MASAREPA

It is important to make a distinction between the two types of corn flour that
you will need to make the empanadas in this book, because you cannot
substitute one corn flour for the other, if you want your empanadas to be
authentic to their country of origin.
Masa harina is the dried corn flour that you’ll use to make many of the
Mexican and Central American recipes in this book. The corn is treated with
calcium hydroxide (known as cal in Spanish), has its hulls slipped, and then
it’s dried.
The dried corn, also known as hominy, is then ground to a meal that only
needs the addition of water to become masa. There are many brands of masa
harina out there, but I recommend using the two most popular brands
available: Maseca or Torti Masa. The bags sometimes say “Instant Corn
Masa Flour.” This nixtamalized corn masa is not used in South America.
Harina pan or masarepa is a type of cornmeal in which the corn is dried

and ground before it is precooked without any addition of chemicals (i.e., no
cal). It is used in Colombia and Venezuela. It comes in two colors: white and
yellow. Either one will work for the recipes in this book. Two very popular
brands are Goya and P.A.N. Please be advised that regular cornmeal cannot
be substituted for masarepa, since regular cornmeal has not been treated in
the same manner.
FINE SEA SALT

It dissolves easily in recipes and has a clean taste that doesn’t overpower the
other ingredients.
LARD OR TALLOW
In Latin America, two different kinds of rendered animal fat are used in
baking: pork lard (manteca de cerdo) and beef tallow (grasa de pella). In
South American countries such as Chile and Argentina, beef tallow is
preferred, although cooks use it interchangeably with lard. Finding rendered
beef tallow is very difficult and you’ll probably have to render it yourself.
Unlike lard, tallow turns rancid quickly after it’s been rendered. For these
reasons, I will often suggest that you stick with lard.
As maligned as fat has been in our modern culture, it is still the best vehicle
for flavor. Lard plays an important role in the making of empanadas because
it produces tender crusts. It melts at a slower rate than butter when exposed to
heat, and this makes for flakier pastries. Even though you can always
substitute vegetable shortening for lard in the recipes in this book (perfect for
vegetarians), know that authentic empanadas will most often be made with
lard. In the United States and abroad, many grocery stores that cater to Latin
American customers will sell tubs of golden rendered pork lard. I suggest you
find a store near you that does this and buy it, freshly rendered, whenever you
can. However, certainly you can rely on whatever is most convenient for you,
whether it is vegetable shortening; store-bought, freshly rendered lard; or
homemade lard or tallow. But stay away from the white, hydrogenated lard
found in most supermarkets; it’s both unhealthy and has been stripped of
flavor.
To produce tallow, you must start with beef fat (called suet) that comes from
the fatty tissue surrounding the kidneys or loin of the steer (ask your butcher
to reserve it for you). For lard, you must select the pork belly or fatback (leaf
lard) from the pig, or random pieces of fat from the pig. Leaf lard produces
milky-white fat, while the other produces golden, nutty lard. Both are equally
fine to use in the recipes in this book. The crispy pieces left after rendering
the fat are known as chicharrones or cracklings; use or discard, as you please.
When chilled, lard and tallow will solidify, making them easy to measure for
the recipes in this book.
How to Render Tallow and Lard: Cut the fat into small pieces and place it
in a heavy (preferably enameled, cast-iron) pot. Turn the heat on to low and
cook slowly, uncovered, until the fat melts away and is separated from any
pieces of meat. Strain the fat through a fine mesh strainer and transfer it to
clean containers with lids. Store lard in the refrigerator for up to 6 months
(tallow for 3 days) or in the freezer, for up to 1 year (tallow for 1 month).
UNSALTED BUTTER
Unsalted butter allows you to add salt to taste in your recipes.
CREAM CHEESE
Full-fat cream cheese is necessary for the recipes in this book. Don’t
substitute with any other.
MANGO, PLANTAINS, YUCA
CASSAVA OR YUCA
This tuber is available frozen and ready to cook in many Latin American
tiendas and in the freezer section of many grocery stores in the United States.
I prefer to buy it frozen because it’s already been peeled and sectioned,
saving me time in the kitchen.
CANNED REFRIED BEANS

A time-saver. Find your favorite brand and stick with that. My favorite is
Ducal by Goya because the beans are smooth and nicely seasoned.
STORE-BOUGHT FROZEN EMPANADA DISCS

The empanada maker’s best friends—simply thaw and fill, as these precut
and premeasured empanada crusts are ready to cook. You’ll find them in the
frozen section of many grocery stores and in most stores that cater to Latin
Americans (see Sources, this page).
The two most popular brands are La Fe and Goya. Some empanada discs
have been colored with annatto to make them a dark golden (almost orange)
color, while others are white. Use either kind, as the color won’t affect the
flavor of the final dish.
HARD-BOILED EGGS
These are commonly found in a wide range of empanadas and so it pays to be
able to make them like a pro. To boil eggs, place the number of desired eggs
in a pot large enough to hold them. Cover them by 2 inches (5 cm) with cold
water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Immediately remove the pot from the
heat; cover the pot and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Drop the eggs into a
bowl filled with iced water and let them cool completely. Peel and use as
directed in each recipe.
ROASTED PEPPERS
These lend a smoky flavor to fillings like in the tuna empanadas on this page.
To make them, roast peppers directly over the flame of a gas stove, or grill or
broil them until their skins are charred and blistered. Place them in a bowl;
cover and let them steam for 20 minutes. Peel them by scraping the skins off
with a sharp knife. Slice them in half and scrape the seeds off. You may also
roast the peppers under a broiler; cut them in half (lengthwise) and place the
peppers cut side down on a baking sheet.
ACHIOTE (ANNATTO), ANCHO CHILES, GARLIC, LOROCO
FLOWER BUDS, GUAJILLO CHILES, MEXICAN OREGANO,
MEMBRILLO, HONEY
This chapter will help you to prepare the fillings for most of the beef and
chicken empanadas in this book. These are also great stand-alone recipes that
will come in handy in your kitchen. They would be delicious when simply
served on a mound of rice and paired with a side salad. So whether you use
these to make a particular empanada, or whether you just want good, clean
Latin flavors on your table, these recipes are worthy of a special place in your
culinary repertoire. I hope this chapter proves to be one that you will revisit
with confidence, knowing that following these recipes and the general tips on
fillings will ensure that your empanadas will be as authentic (and delicious!)
as possible.
MAKING AND USING EMPANADA FILLINGS

Always make the fillings before you start the dough for the empanadas.
Chilling the fillings will make them much easier to handle, especially if
they are moist. When moist fillings are properly chilled, they congeal,
which makes them easier and neater to use. During the cooking process,
moist fillings will warm up inside the dough and will become juicy once
more.
The fillings must be heavily seasoned or else their flavor won’t hold up to
that of the dough used to encase them.
At first, you may have a hard time filling empanadas all the way through.
It’s best to start with less filling, so that the empanadas won’t explode
while cooking. You will get better at stuffing them as you go.
The fillings in this book have been carefully measured, so you shouldn’t
end up with much (if any) leftover filling; if you do, know that leftovers
are great on their own, served on rice, or spread on a piece of toast.
The fillings will be very hot after the empanadas are cooked. Make sure to
let the empanadas rest for several minutes before serving them.
Many of the empanadas in this book may be served at room temperature. It

is imperative that the empanadas containing beef or dairy are not kept at
room temperature for any longer than two hours after they are cooked. For
this reason, if you need to keep the empanadas longer, either refrigerate
and reheat them briefly, or freeze and reheat them before serving
(according to the recipe).
Flank steak is one of the most inexpensive cuts of beef and the preferred cut
for most beef fillings used in Latin American empanadas. With a few
exceptions, such as the Venezuelan empanadas, where the beef has to be
seared before cooking, the steak is simply boiled in seasoned water until it is
tender. Some cooks in South America barely blanch the beef before adding it
to the rest of the ingredients, but others cook it through. Therefore, I’ve
adapted this recipe, cooking the beef through until tender so that it works
with most of the fillings in this book. Sometimes the recipe will call for the
beef to be shredded, but other times it will require it to be finely diced. You
can cook two or more steaks at a time, following the same method. Always
reserve at least 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking liquid, in case the empanada
recipe calls for it.
1 to 2 pounds (455 to 910 g) flank steak (according to the recipe)

½ small white onion, halved
1 celery stalk (with leaves, preferred)
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (960 ML)

Place the flank steak in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover the steak
by about 1½ inches (4 cm). Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, garlic,
salt, and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil; cover, lower the heat, and simmer for
1½ hours, or until the beef is easily shredded with a fork.
Remove the steak from the pot, reserving 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking
liquid; set both aside. When the beef is cool enough to handle, remove any fat
or sinew and slice it crosswise into thirds. Use your fingers to shred it into
thin strands or chop it into a fine dice, according to the recipe; chill, covered,
until ready to use.
NOTE: If refrigerated, the steak will last, covered, for up to 2 days. To

freeze it, cover the shredded beef with the cooking liquid just until
submerged. Freeze it in containers for up to 3 months.
There are many empanada recipes that start with cooked chicken. I encourage
you to use organic and local chickens when you can. I select birds that
include the neck and giblets so that I can benefit from their great flavor. Since
chicken liver causes stock to become murky, I discard it or use it for other
recipes. It is important to keep the liquid at a bare simmer while the chicken
poaches so that the flesh remains moist and does not become stringy. Of
course, you can use rotisserie chicken for any recipe in this book. However, if
you cook your own, you’ll find yourself armed with deeply flavored chicken
and, as a bonus, luscious stock that can be used for preparing many other
dishes.
1 (4½- to 5-pound/2- to 2.3-kg) chicken with giblets and neck (preferably)

1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 small white or yellow onion, whole and unpeeled
2 large leeks, washed and trimmed of tough leaves
1 large or 2 medium carrots, unpeeled
1 large head of garlic, unpeeled
2 bay leaves
12 peppercorns
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (960 ML) COOKED WHITE

MEAT, 2 CUPS (480 ML) COOKED DARK MEAT,
AND 2 QUARTS (960 ML) BEAUTIFULLY
SEASONED STOCK
Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the bird; discard the liver (or
reserve for other uses) and rinse the rest under cold water.
Place the chicken and giblets in a large stockpot containing enough cold
water to cover the bird. Add the salt and bring the pot slowly to a boil over
medium-high heat, spooning off all of the scum that rises to the surface.
When the scum no longer rises, reduce the heat to low or just so that the
liquid barely simmers.
Add the onion, leeks, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Adjust the
heat so that the liquid continues to simmer very gently (you should see only a
very few bubbles) and cook for about 1 hour (more for a larger chicken),
uncovered, turning the chicken over once, so that both sides poach uniformly.
Test it for doneness by piercing one of its thighs with a fork. If the juices run
clear, the chicken is done; if not, continue barely simmering it and checking it
every 10 to 15 minutes. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the stock
and allow it to cool slightly before deboning and shredding or dicing it, about
30 minutes.
Strain the stock into a large bowl and discard the vegetables and aromatics.
Cool the stock and divide it into containers.
NOTES: Empanada recipes usually call for a smaller amount of chicken.

Therefore, if you can’t use the remaining chicken, cool it and cover it
with broth.
If refrigerated, the chicken will last, covered, for up to 2 days. Degrease

the stock after it has chilled (a layer of fat will solidify on top, making it a
cinch to remove). Freeze it in containers for up to 3 months. To thaw it,
leave it in the refrigerator overnight; transfer it to a pot and heat it through
at a low simmer.
THE FIRST EMPANADAS TO REACH
THE NEW WORLD WERE MADE WITH
WHEAT. LATIN AMERICANS,
HOWEVER, USE MANY OTHER
INGREDIENTS TO BUILD CASINGS
FOR EMPANADAS.
In this chapter, you’ll find a good compendium that includes the most popular
kinds of dough used for empanadas from Mexico and Central America to the
Latin Caribbean (including Cuba and the Dominican Republic), and all the
way down to Argentina. Some dough fries crispy, other dough should be
baked until it’s flaky, and yet others produce a consistency similar to that of
bread. You’ll find dough made with root vegetables, nixtamalized corn, and
plantains. You will find naturally gluten-free dough, such as one made with
masa harina and another made with the precooked cornmeal of Venezuela
(among others). Some, like the plantain and the cassava doughs, are both
gluten free and ideal for a vegan diet. Of course, I’ve included the classic,
wheat-flour pastry recipes too. And each recipe is clearly labeled as gluten
free and/or vegan where relevant.
Each recipe in this chapter lists only the instructions for how to make the
dough. You’ll have to follow the instructions in each individual empanada
recipe later on in the book for cutting, shaping, and cooking the empanadas,
given that even two empanadas using the same dough may be made in
completely different ways. For example, some of the empanadas using the
Flaky Dough will be cut into small rounds and simply folded in half, while
others may need larger rounds that can be placed atop each other to form
ravioli-like empanadas.
MIXING AND MATCHING
In the empanada recipes that follow, I call for a specific kind of dough to be
used in order to retain each recipe’s authenticity. However, you should feel
free to mix the fillings with the dough of your choice. For instance, if you
prefer gluten-free dough to wheat dough, or vegan dough made with
vegetable shortening instead of lard or butter, substitute it. The only caveat is
that each recipe for dough makes a different amount. Also, some doughs will
stretch, allowing more filling to be stuffed into the empanadas, while others
won’t. What this means is that if you substitute one for another, you may end
up with extra filling. The easiest way to correct this is to make an extra batch
(or two) of the gluten-free dough.
Not all dough is created equal, and while some types are ideal for baking,
some must be fried or grilled. Each recipe is labeled with the required method
of preparation so that you can tell them apart. Note that the wheat dough that
I use for frying (Master Dough, this page) may also be used for baked
empanadas, so this is a great recipe that works for both methods. Finally, all
of the recipes in this book work with prepackaged frozen empanada discs.
SWEET PLANTAIN DOUGH (THIS PAGE) ON TORTILLA PRESS
MY NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD

What I bring to the table is a new method of working with dough that makes
shaping empanada discs easy. Although most Latin American cooks use
rolling pins to shape perfect dough rounds, I prefer to use a tortilla press for
most of these recipes. Both methods work, of course, and I offer you both
techniques, but using a tortilla press makes the process quicker and simpler
(see below for a photo of the press in action).
ROLLING OUT DOUGH FOR EMPANADAS

Whether using a tortilla press or a rolling pin, below are some tips that should
help you roll out dough more efficiently:
Before you roll any dough, it’s important to let it rest for at least 10
minutes (or as long as the recipe calls for). This will allow you to roll the
dough out without much shrinkage or resistance, helping it to keep its
shape.
If a recipe calls for rolling out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, the
bottom of the dough will most likely have remnants of that flour. This will
prevent the scraps of dough from coming together so that they can be
rolled again. Therefore, before you re-roll scraps of dough together, use a
pastry brush to dust the flour off the bottom of the scraps.
Chilling butter-based dough will make it easier to roll out.
The less you have to roll out scraps of dough, the better. The dough will
toughen if overworked. So, try to roll it out thinly and cut as many discs as
you can from that first roll. Always cover the dough scraps and let them
rest for at least 10 minutes before re-rolling.
Whether using a rolling pin or a tortilla press, use a zip-top freezer bag,
open on three sides like a book, and place the empanada dough—usually
shaped into balls or patties—in the middle of the open bag. Close the bag
and shape the empanadas as directed in the recipe.
MASTER DOUGH (THIS PAGE)
BREAD DOUGH (THIS PAGE)
SALTEÑA DOUGH (THIS PAGE)

FLAKY DOUGH (THIS PAGE)
In Mexico and Central America, you’ll find empanadas made from corn that
has been soaked in water mixed with lye (the chemical known in Spanish as
cal). The process is called nixtamalization and it loosens the outer germ of
the kernels, causing them to swell and become plump. The moist corn is then
ground into masa or dried and ground into very fine flour called masa harina,
used to make tortillas, empanadas, and other things. Empanadas made with
this kind of dough can be either grilled or fried, depending on whether one
wishes the dough to remain meaty in texture or to turn crispy. When working
with masa harina, understand that brands will vary in the amount of water
they’ll need to reach the desired consistency. So I recommend testing the
dough before rolling it, as described below, and always keeping the dough
covered as you work, so it doesn’t dry out. See this page for more tips on
working with this dough.
3 cups (340 g) masa harina, plus more as needed

2 to 2½ cups (480 to 600 ml) warm water (110°F/43°C), plus more as
needed
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS
In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt. Gradually add 2
cups (480 ml) of the warm water, kneading the mixture with your hand until
it comes together into a ball with the consistency of mashed potatoes (if the
dough is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of water at a time; if it’s too
wet, add a few tablespoons of the masa harina at a time). Turn the dough onto
a clean surface and knead it until smooth, about 30 seconds or to the
consistency of play dough; return it to the bowl, cover it with a damp kitchen
towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes so that all of the liquid can be fully
absorbed. To determine whether the dough is the proper consistency, shape a
bit of the masa into a ball and press it flat into a disc. If the edges of the masa
crack when shaped into discs, add a bit more water (a few tablespoons at a
time); if the dough is too soft, add a bit more masa harina (a few tablespoons
at a time).
See this page, this page, this page, this page, this page, and this page for
instructions on how to fill and shape the dough and recipes for empanadas
that use this dough.
NOTE: The dough is best made just before using but, if needed, it can be
made up to 4 hours ahead of time (keep it wrapped in plastic and
refrigerated). Empanadas made with this masa dough can be filled up to 1
hour before cooking; keep them covered and refrigerated until ready to
grill or fry (depending on what each recipe calls for). Once cooked, the
empanadas freeze beautifully (see individual recipes for instructions).
Dough made with masa harina or masarepa can be finicky (see this page
and this page). They dry out very quickly if left uncovered or if the
atmosphere is too dry. For this reason, always keep your dough covered
as you work and follow the other tips below:
Keep a bowl of warm water next to you as you work so you can
moisten the dough and rehydrate it as needed.
When pressing down the dough to shape rounds for the empanadas,
the dough may crack along the edges—that means it is too dry. If that
happens, moisten your hands with the warm water and press the
dough back into a ball with your moistened hands. That should add
enough liquid for the dough not to crack anymore.
Before you shape the empanadas, always line a baking sheet with
parchment paper to prevent them from sticking as they wait to be
cooked. Also keep them covered with a lightly damp and clean
kitchen towel (every bit of moisture helps).
You can shape empanadas made with either kind of masa up to 1 hour
ahead of frying. In this case, cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap
over the towel and refrigerate them until ready to cook.
In Colombia and Venezuela, you’ll find empanadas made with golden, milled
corn dough. Precooked cornmeal, known as harina pan or masarepa, is
preferred to fresh-milled corn by most cooks because it only needs to be
combined with warm liquid to become dough. It’s found in stores that sell
Latin American food products or online (see Sources, this page). Note that
regular cornmeal, such as the one used to make polenta, won’t work here. See
this page for tips on working with this dough.
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (440 g) precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa

or harina pan), plus more as needed
3 cups (720 ml) hot water (about 115°F/46°C), plus more as needed
MAKES 15 TO 18 EMPANADAS
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal and salt. Add the water slowly,
in a thin stream, kneading the mixture with your hand until it comes together
into a ball with the consistency of mashed potatoes (if the dough is too dry,
add a few more tablespoons of water at a time; if it’s too wet, add a few
tablespoons of the precooked cornmeal at a time). Turn the dough onto a
clean surface and knead it until smooth, 45 seconds to 1 minute or to the
consistency of play dough. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic
wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes (to allow the fine
grains to absorb all of the liquid).
See this page, this page, and this page for instructions on how to fill and
shape this dough and recipes for empanada fillings.
NOTE: Masarepa is a product that has been made with precooked
cornmeal (there is no need for you to cook it before using here). This
dough is best made just before using and is not suitable for freezing.
These empanadas can be shaped or filled up to 1 hour before frying as
long as you keep them covered and chilled until you are ready to fry.
Once fried, they freeze beautifully (see individual recipes for
instructions).
In Colombia, empanadas from the Cauca region will sometimes be made with
a mixture of precooked cornmeal (called harina pan or masarepa) and yuca
or cassava flour called almidón de yuca, also known as tapioca starch or
tapioca flour. Cassava flour produces both a crunchier crust (almost like a
corn chip) and a chewier bite than dough made strictly with cornmeal. The
dough is made golden with ground annatto seeds or with a product made of
seasoned annatto, called Bijol, which is easy to find in Latin American
supermarkets (see Sources, this page). Use whichever is easier to find, as the
taste will be the same. Try my tortilla press method (see this page) to simplify
the process or stay traditional and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. This
is a terrific gluten-free recipe that can be used in place of the Master Dough
(this page) used for fried empanadas; they won’t be authentic, but they will
be delicious and wheat-free.
3 cups (420 g) precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa or harina pan) (see

Note), plus more as needed
½ cup (64 g) cassava flour or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon ground annatto (achiote) or Bijol
3 cups (720 ml) hot water (about 115°F/46°C), plus more as needed
MAKES 20 EMPANADAS
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour or starch, salt, and annatto
or Bijol. Add the water slowly, in a thin stream, kneading the mixture with
your hands until it comes together into a ball with the consistency of mashed
potatoes (if the dough is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of water at a
time; if it’s too wet, add a few tablespoons of the precooked cornmeal at a
time). Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead it until smooth, 45
seconds to 1 minute or to the consistency of play dough. Return the dough to
the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest for
10 minutes (to allow the fine grains to absorb all of the liquid).
See this page for instructions on how to fill and shape this dough and a recipe
for an empanada that uses this dough.
NOTE: Masarepa is a product that has been made with precooked

cornmeal (there is no need for you to cook it before using here).
Empanadas made with this dough must be fried as soon as they’re shaped
or they’ll crack open. Plan to make the dough just before you have to fill
the empanadas. This empanada dough is not suitable for freezing.
This hearty, gluten-free dough that tastes similar to potatoes creates golden
empanadas with crispy exteriors that give way to chewy, meaty interiors.
Cassava root is used abundantly throughout Latin America (where it’s also
known as yuca). It can be cooked, transformed into tapioca pearls, or ground
into flour. In countries such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and Panama, you’ll find it used to make empanada dough. If you use it
fresh, peel and section it before cooking it. I suggest you purchase frozen
whole cassava, which you’ll find in most supermarkets catering to Latinos,
because it’s already peeled and sectioned. Stay away from the canned stuff,
as it is way too mushy and won’t work. Whether fresh or frozen, yuca is
easily boiled until fork tender. This dough is very sticky, so keep your hands
moist every time you work with it. And because of the stickiness, it is
particularly important to use my tortilla press method (see this page), which
makes shaping the discs much easier. Ideally you’ll use a large food
processor to make this dough. If you don’t have one, use a potato masher to
mash the yuca until smooth.
1½ pounds (680 g) frozen, peeled cassava (yuca)
Place the cassava in a large pot. Cover it with cold water and bring it to a boil
over medium-high heat. Boil it for 15 to 20 minutes or until just fork tender
(enough so that you can insert a fork into its flesh but still feel resistance in
the center). Drain it and cool it slightly. Slice the pieces in half (lengthwise)
and remove the tough fiber found in the middle; discard the fiber. Chop the
cassava into smaller chunks and let it cool completely. Transfer the cassava
to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse until
it comes together into a ball, 25 to 35 one-second intervals. Turn the dough
onto a sheet of plastic wrap and, using the wrap, shape it into a ball. Cover it
with the plastic wrap and let it rest, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
See this page and this page for instructions on how to fill and shape this
dough and recipes for empanada fillings.
NOTE: This dough is best made just before frying. These empanadas
must be fried as soon as they’re shaped but freeze well after frying. When
reheating, there is no need to thaw them; simply place them frozen into a
hot oven (see individual recipes for additional instructions). If you wish to
use this dough in place of a wheat-based dough in this book, plan to
double this recipe so you have enough dough to use most of the filling.
You can also create your own gluten-free recipes by filling empanadas
made with this dough with any combination of ingredients, such as the
Cooked Flank Steak (this page) or Poached Chicken (this page).
When fried, this dough is flaky and crispy on the outside, yet tender on the
inside. Its breadlike consistency holds the moistest fillings inside and pairs
well with both sweet and savory flavors. This is my go-to dough whenever I
want to make perfectly puffy empanadas. The acidity in the orange juice
tenderizes the dough, although it doesn’t add flavor. If you don’t wish to fry
empanadas made with this dough for health purposes, they can also be baked
in a 400°F (205°C) oven until golden, for 8 to 12 minutes (15 to 20 minutes if
frozen). They will bake into a softer consistency than when they’re fried, and
you won’t be able to coat them in sugar (when called for), but they’ll be just
as delicious. Ideally you’ll use a food processor to make this dough. If you
don’t have one, use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the dry
ingredients until it reaches the consistency of coarse sand; mix in the other
ingredients by hand.
3 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (or vegetable
shortening)
1 tablespoon orange juice
⅔ cup (165 ml) seltzer water
MAKES 36 TO 40 3-INCH (7.5-CM); 24 TO 26 3½-

INCH (9-CM); OR 22 TO 26 3¾-INCH (9.5-CM)
ROUNDS
Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted
with a metal blade; pulse for 5 seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse
at 1-second intervals until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 20 to 25 pulses.
Add the orange juice through the feed tube while pulsing at 1-second
intervals, then add the seltzer water while pulsing, until the dough starts to
come together into a ball, 30 to 35 pulses. Turn the dough onto a lightly
floured surface and knead it for 1 to 2 minutes (the dough will look slightly
cracked but it will smooth out when rolled out). Wrap the dough in plastic
wrap and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
See this page, this page, this page, and this page for instructions on how to
fill and shape this dough and recipes for empanada fillings.
NOTE: A tortilla press will not work well with this dough, as it must
stretch out, which can only be done with a rolling pin. The rounds can be
kept in the refrigerator, if well covered with plastic, for up to 48 hours
before filling the empanadas. Let the chilled empanada rounds sit at room
temperature for 10 minutes before filling. They can also be frozen
(separated by parchment paper and stacked) in a plastic bin for up to 1
month. To thaw, let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until
pliable. Once shaped, the empanadas can be frozen raw (see individual
recipes for instructions).
This is the classic recipe for dough that produces breadlike empanadas with
crispy edges and paper-thin centers. The dough is extremely elastic and gives
a lot when filled, allowing copious amounts of scrumptious ingredients to be
stuffed inside. You’ll want to start this dough long after the fillings are
prepared and chilled, so that the empanadas can be filled shortly after the
dough is made. This delicate dough must be cut while still warm. It’s
important to add the right amount of water—too little, and the dough will be
brittle, but too much and the discs will stick to each other, making them a
nightmare to shape. Keep extra flour nearby, and dust each disc after shaping
it with a bit of flour so they won’t stick together. I also stack the finished
discs between pieces of waxed or parchment paper to prevent them from
sticking together. If you’re an advanced empanada maker, you may prefer to
fill each empanada after shaping each disc. Many South American bakers
prefer beef lard or suet (grasa de pella) to pork lard, but it’s easier to find the
latter; use either one in this recipe.
8½ cups (1.1 kg) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons fine sea salt
¾ cup (180 ml) melted pork or beef lard (or vegetable shortening)
2½ cups (600 ml) hot water (140°F/60°C)
Parchment paper cut into 28 (5-by-5-inch/12-by-12-cm) squares
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center.
Add the lard and 2 cups (480 ml) of the water. Stir well with a spatula, until
the dough starts coming together. Switch to your hands and add the
remaining ½ cup (120 ml) water, kneading until the dough comes together (it
will be soft and sticky). Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and
knead it for 1 to 2 minutes (adding more flour as needed), until the dough
holds together in a ball and no longer sticks to your fingers. Return the dough
to the bowl; cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
See this page, this page, this page, this page, this page, and this page for
instructions on how to fill and shape this dough and recipes for empanada
fillings.
NOTE: Some empanadas made with this dough will require them to be
brushed with egg wash, while others will not. Adding egg wash will give
a beautiful sheen to the finished empanadas. To make an egg wash, you
can usually just whisk together 1 egg and 2 teaspoons water, although
occasionally slightly different proportions are called for in the recipes,
and sometimes milk replaces the water. This dough is best used right after
making; once baked, the empanadas freeze beautifully (see individual
Empanadas are sealed with a variety of methods. Sometimes the edges of
the dough are simply pressed together, and sometimes the tines of a fork
add decoration, while rustic folds are added to others. The most intricate
design is created by the pinch-and-fold method used to seal South
American empanadas, which creates ropelike edges. The method is
called repulgue, because the thumb (pulgar) does most of the work.
To make the rope edges, you must form a rim (depending on the kind of
dough you’re using, you’ll do this by either stretching it or by pressing it
together), until it’s about ½ inch (12 mm) wide.
Starting at one end of the empanada and using your right thumb and
index finger, lift the dough and roll a small section of dough inward,
pressing it into the rim (the index finger will be more like a guide).
Repeat by grabbing another small section of dough right next to where
you pinched and, using your thumb and index fingers, roll it inward
between your fingers and pinch it again into the rim, tightly. Keep doing
this all around the edge and soon you’ll see a ropelike design taking
shape as you go.
Argentinean cooks say that a true empanada has thirteen repulgues. The
smaller the sections you pinch, the more detailed the rope design will be.
If your edges look more like crimped pie dough than ropes, don’t worry.
That means that you’re leaving too much space between the sections
you’re rolling. Instead, I suggest that you let them overlap slightly onto
each other as you roll. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be rolling and
pinching in no time. For practice, use a napkin until you feel comfortable
working with the dough.
This method works best with the Bread Dough (this page) and with
store-bought hojaldrada empanada discs. It also works with the Salteña
Dough (this page) and with the Master Dough (this page).
Bolivia is famous for the football-shaped salteñas made with slightly
sweetened, annatto-tinted dough. They encase savory stews made with beef,
chicken, or both (called jigote). The fillings, which always include potatoes
and peas, are so moist that they must first be thickened with gelatin so that
they can be stuffed into the dough. Once baked, the gelatin melts and the
fillings become soupy. Salteñas have flat bottoms that help them stand on
their own. Their edges bake to a deep caramel (sometimes black) color, while
the rest of the dough develops a golden hue. The proper way to eat a salteña
is to bite off one of the ends and to drink any juices before cutting into the
filling. Note that the dough must rest for a long time before you can roll it
out. This time allows the gluten in the flour to relax, and makes it easier to
roll the dough without too much shrinkage.
1 cup (240 ml) melted lard (or vegetable shortening)

1 tablespoon whole annatto (achiote) seeds (see Sources, this page)
9½ cups (1.2 kg) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ cup (100 g) sugar
2 large egg yolks
3 cups (720ml) hot water (115°F/46°C), plus more as needed
MAKES 26 TO 28 SALTEÑAS
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the lard and annatto
seeds and heat until they begin to bubble slightly, about 2 minutes.
Immediately remove the pot from the heat and steep the seeds for 15 minutes.
Strain the lard into a medium bowl; discard the seeds. Cool the lard
completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the
center and add the egg yolks and cooled lard. Using a wooden spatula, begin
to mix everything together while slowly adding enough of the hot water that
the dough holds together (it will be wet and sticky). Turn the dough onto a
well-floured surface and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes (adding more flour as
needed), until the dough is smooth, comes together into a ball, and springs
back when gently pressed with a fingertip. Return it to the bowl; cover the
dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 45 to 60 minutes.
See this page and this page for instructions on how to fill and shape this
dough and recipes for empanada fillings.
NOTE: This dough cannot be frozen and is best used after resting for 1
hour; once baked, the empanadas freeze beautifully (see individual
Brazilian fried empanadas made with this lard-based dough are called pastéis
(pronounced pahs-teys). The dough is supple and fries up blistery, crispy, and
with a light and flaky texture, very much like that of egg roll dough. The
dough itself can be made easily in a bowl, but you’ll need a little bit of time
and patience to roll out the dough and to cut it into squares. In order to get
crackly, blistery dough when fried, it must first be rolled out very thinly. The
dough needs to rest before you roll it, so that the gluten in the flour can relax
and allow it to stretch thinly; otherwise your squares will shrink into small,
fat rectangles. If at first you find it hard to roll out the dough thinly, don’t
worry; the pastéis will still be delicious. Once the dough is cut, you can layer
it between sheets of parchment paper on a baking sheet and let it rest for 20
minutes (or refrigerate it for up to 2 hours) before filling and frying the
pastéis. Always place the filling on the sticky side of the pastry (one side will
be drier than the other) so that the edges will stick together and seal tightly.
In a pinch, you can substitute this dough with egg roll wrappers, but you’ll
need to moisten their edges with egg wash in order to make them stick.
2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

⅓ cup (75 ml) melted lard (or vegetable shortening)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅔ cup (165 ml) warm water (100°F/38°C)
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center.
Add the lard or shortening and vinegar. Begin to mix the wet ingredients into
the flour with a spoon as you add the water in a stream. When all the water
has been added, switch to your hands and knead the dough until it comes
together into a ball. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and
knead until it is smooth, about 1 minute. Roll it out into a rectangle about 2
inches (5 cm) thick (this will make it easier to roll out fully) and wrap it in
plastic; let it rest for 20 minutes.
See this page, this page, this page, this page, and this page for instructions on
how to fill and shape this dough and recipes for empanada fillings.
NOTE: This dough cannot be frozen and is best used after resting for 20
minutes; once shaped, the empanadas can be frozen raw (see individual
In Latin America, this dough is also known as masa hojaldrada. Technically,
it’s only made with butter, but growing up in Guatemala, I learned that hot
weather and cold butter don’t always play together nicely. Cream cheese, on
the other hand, stands up to the heat, stays solid longer, and contains enough
acidity to produce a tender pastry. As the cheese melts, it creates steam that
results in deliciously flaky pastry. Empanadas made with this dough should
be brushed with egg wash (for sheen) and should be refrigerated for at least
10 minutes (and up to overnight) before they’re baked so that they’ll keep
their shape; these two steps will also prevent the dough from getting soggy.
Ideally you’ll use a food processor to make this dough. If you don’t have one,
use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter and cream cheese into the
dough until it reaches the consistency of coarse sand; then mix by hand.
1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, cubed and chilled
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
MAKES ABOUT 22 (4-INCH/10-CM); 32 (3½-INCH/9-

CM); 36 (3¼-INCH/8-CM); 40 (3-INCH/7.5-CM); OR
48 (2½-INCH/6-CM) DISCS
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour,
sugar, and salt; pulse for 20 seconds, or until combined. Add the cream
cheese and butter and pulse until the mixture comes together and forms a
ball, about 2 minutes (about 125 one-second pulses). Remove the pastry from
the food processor, and divide it in half. Shape each half into a flat disc; wrap
each disc in plastic wrap, and chill them for at least 30 minutes or up to 48
hours.
See this page, this page, this page, this page, this page, this page, and this
page for instructions on how to fill and shape this dough and recipes for
empanada fillings.
NOTE: The dough will keep in your refrigerator for up to 2 days—any

longer and it will fall apart. You can freeze the dough up to 2 months and
thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, before proceeding with
shaping the empanadas. You can also cut the dough into discs, stack them
(with parchment paper in between), and freeze them for up to 2 months;
thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding with filling and
baking the empanadas. You can assemble the empanadas up to 8 hours
before baking, or freeze them unbaked (see instructions in individual
recipes).
This dough is made with plantains that have been allowed to ripen until their
skins are golden. As the plantains boil, their skins shrink and the flesh
expands. As soon as the skins begin to split open, they are ready to transform
into dough. Look for large plantains that are wider, rather than longer, about
2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Thinner plantains take much longer to ripen and
sometimes never soften quite enough to use for this. I prefer to purchase a
couple of extra plantains in case they ripen at different rates. When they’re
still green, I place them in paper bags and allow them to ripen for a couple of
days.
4 large yellow plantains (about 2½ pounds/1.2 kg)

1 tablespoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour (or rice or chickpea flour for gluten-free),
if needed (see Notes)
With a sharp knife, cut off the tips of the plantains, then slice the plantains in
half crosswise. Place them in a large pot; cover with water and add the salt.
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Boil the plantains until they’re fork
tender and their skins split, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer the plantains to a large
bowl; drain them well and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Peel the plantains and mash them well with a fork or a potato masher, until
smooth. If the dough is too loose, you can add flour (see Notes). Use
immediately.
See this page for instructions on how to fill and shape this dough and a recipe
for an empanada filling.
NOTES: Chances are that if the dough is not holding together, your
plantains were too ripe. Take a bit of dough in your hands and press it
together; if it holds together well, it’s ready. If the plantains are too loose,
add some flour (1 tablespoon at a time) and stir it into the dough until it
holds together (use gluten-free flour to keep them gluten-free).
This dough must be used directly after making it and is not suitable for
freezing. Once the empanadas are cooked, they can be frozen (see
instructions in individual recipes).
MOM WAS RIGHT WHEN SHE SAID
YOU SHOULD EAT YOUR
VEGETABLES. HOWEVER,
VEGETABLES DON’T HAVE TO BE
BORING, AND THIS CHAPTER PROVES
JUST THAT.
Here, you’ll find vegetarian corn empanadas from Argentina, so sweet and
spicy that you’ll have trouble eating only one. You’ll also discover bean
empanadas made with authentic corn crusts. You will come across the
spinach and cheese empanadas from Argentina that feature classic Italian
flavors. You’ll discover the flaky Brazilian pies made with hearts of palm,
and the Ecuadorian onion pies that are sweet enough to serve as part of a
dessert course. The empanadas made with cassava crust and simply stuffed
with cheese will make you wonder how such complex flavor can result from
only a couple of ingredients. And the Colombian empanadas stuffed with
peanuts and potatoes will surprise with their elegant and subtle taste. Some of
the hand-held pies can be part of an appetizer platter, while others can
become the main component of a meal. Not all vegetable empanadas in Latin
America (or in this chapter) are vegetarian because some dough is made with
lard, but this is an easy thing to change simply by switching to vegetable
shortening. However, all of these empanadas are perfectly delectable and will
have you begging for second servings of vegetables every time.
These gluten-free and vegetarian empanadas are spicy, comforting, and
exotic all at the same time. They combine the best of African and native
Colombian flavors that define the cuisine of the Cauca region. The tomato-
based sauce that moistens the filling is called hogao, and although most times
it’s not spicy, my recipe carries a good kick courtesy of a hot chile. The
potatoes must be diced finely and then cooked just until tender, so that each
cube can retain its shape. The result is perhaps the most elegant empanada
you’ll find in the Latin American culinary landscape, juxtaposing creamy and
crunchy textures that explode on the palate. In Bogota, they’re served as tiny
appetizers, dipped into a silken peanut sauce (see Creamy Peanut Sauce, this
page). My empanadas are on the larger side and I serve them as an entree.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (120 g) finely chopped white onions
½ cup (50 g) finely chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground annatto (achiote) or Bijol (see Notes)
1 cup (185 g) seeded and finely chopped plum tomatoes
½ cup (60 g) roasted red bell pepper (see this page), cored, seeded, and
finely chopped
1 small serrano pepper, finely chopped (with seeds)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup (150 g) ground roasted peanuts (unsalted or lightly salted
preferred)
3 cups (455 g) peeled and finely diced Yukon gold potatoes, boiled until
fork tender
1 recipe Cornmeal and Cassava Dough (this page)
Vegetable oil for frying
MAKES 20 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-
high heat. Add the onions, leeks, garlic, and annatto or Bijol and sauté them
for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, serrano pepper,
salt, and cumin; continue cooking until the mixture has thickened, about 3
minutes. Remove it from the heat and add the peanuts and potatoes. Cover
and chill the filling for at least 4 hours or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: After the filling chills, make the dough
as directed on this page. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper;
set them aside. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces (about 2½ ounces/70 g
each). Roll each portion into a ball and keep them covered with a damp
kitchen towel as you work. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that
has been cut open on three sides so that it opens like a book. Place a ball of
dough in the middle of the tortilla press and flatten it into a 5½-inch (14-cm)
round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Place 3
heaping tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the round, leaving a small
rim. Use the bag to fold the dough over the filling, forming a half-moon;
press the edges together with your fingers to seal. Transfer the empanada to a
prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling, keeping
the empanadas covered as you go.
FRY THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Fit a large pan with a metal
cooling rack and set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1½
inches (2.5 to 3 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C). You may also use a
deep-fryer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches of
4 or 5 empanadas at a time, carefully slide them into the oil and fry them until
golden, 3 to 4 minutes, turning them over halfway through. If the oil gets too
hot as you fry and they’re browning too quickly, lower the temperature and
let the oil cool slightly before frying any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer
the fried empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Serve them immediately or
keep them warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
NOTES: Once fried, these can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze them
in a single layer on baking sheets lined with parchment paper; once frozen
solid, these can be transferred to freezer boxes or zip-top bags. Reheat
them at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until their centers are hot.
Bijol is a seasoning made with powdered annatto, which dissolves quickly

in liquid and tints food yellow. If you use annatto paste in its place,
dissolve it in an equal amount of hot water or stock before using it. See
Sources (this page).
These plump hand-held pies embellished by ropelike edges are stuffed with a
hearty, creamy, and comforting filling. I first ate these empanadas in the
Argentinean Embassy in Guatemala back in the 1970s. Years later, riding the
subway in Toronto, Canada, I overheard two Argentinean cooks comparing
notes on their spinach empanadas. I paid close attention. One lady claimed
that adding a lot of onions kept the filling moist, while the other insisted that
her secret was to add an abundant amount of cheese. This recipe combines
the best of what they each had to offer. My big regret is never having had the
chance to thank them for the free cooking lesson.

1 pound (455 g) washed, drained, and chopped fresh spinach or baby
spinach
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2½ cups (300 g) shredded mozzarella
1¾ cups (420 ml) whole milk ricotta
½ cup (60 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 recipe Bread Dough (this page)
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg and 2 teaspoons water
MAKES 28 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the oil in a large skillet with high sides over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3
minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the spinach in batches,
stirring it in well (it will cook down to fit in the skillet). Cook until there is no
liquid left and the spinach is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes (the spinach
will still be moist). Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove the filling to
a bowl and let it cool completely; cover and chill it for 2 hours. Stir in the
mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan to combine; chill the filling again, covered,
until ready to use.
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 10
minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 28 equal pieces (about 2
ounces/55 g each). Roll each piece into a ball, folding the bottom of the
dough onto itself so that the ends are at the bottom and the tops are smooth
(the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and
cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 10 minutes. On a well-floured
surface, press each ball slightly into a disc. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top
freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it opens like a book.
Place a disc in the middle of the tortilla press and flatten it into a 5-inch (12-
cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack
the discs with parchment paper in between to avoid sticking.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Place 2
heaping tablespoons of the filling in the center of each disc. Fold the bottom
of the dough to meet the top of the disc, encasing the filling and forming a
half-moon, and press the edges together well. Make ½-inch (12-mm) edges
by pressing the rims between your fingers using the repulgue method (see
this page). The empanadas can sit at room temperature uncovered for 20
minutes before baking or can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before baking.
BAKE THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Preheat the oven to 450°F

(230°C). Place the empanadas on the prepared pans and brush them with the
egg wash. Bake the empanadas for 28 to 30 minutes, or until golden (rotate
the pans in the oven halfway through baking, back to front and top to bottom,
to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to a
cooling rack; let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: To freeze these empanadas, cool them to room temperature; set

them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid. When
solid, transfer them to zip-top bags or freezer boxes and freeze them for
up to 4 months. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed
through, 10 to 15 minutes.
The filling for these dainty corn turnovers with pinched edges, also known as
empanaditas de humitas, is a little bit spicy and very smoky thanks to the
gutsy kick of smoked Spanish paprika. Argentinean cooks scrape corn off the
cob, but frozen (and thawed) corn kernels work great too. Some cooks add
green olives, green onions, cheese, or hard-boiled eggs, but I’m more of a
purist and like the corn to take center stage, as it does in this rendition. You
can make larger empanadas with store-bought empanada discs (you’ll need
sixteen). Using the Flaky Dough on this page is my favorite way because the
small amount of sugar in the dough enhances the sweetness of the corn,
elevating the empanadas to a sublime level of exquisiteness.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup (60 g) finely chopped white onion
½ cup (50 g) finely chopped red bell pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups (330 g) corn kernels (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
1 recipe Flaky Dough (this page)
MAKES 32 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large sauté pan with high sides, melt the butter
over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring,
until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, and
salt; stir to combine. Add the corn and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the flour and stir to combine; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the milk
all at once, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened,
about 1 minute. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool completely;
transfer it to a small bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it for at least
30 minutes (preferably overnight).
as directed on this page and let it rest, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator
for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (if the dough is too cold to roll, let it
sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. On a
well-floured surface and with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to
about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (like for piecrust). Keep lightly dusting flour on
your surface and rolling pin as you roll so that the pastry doesn’t tear or stick
(see Notes). Using a 3½-inch (9-cm) round cutter, cut 32 rounds, rolling and
cutting the scraps as needed. Keep them covered as you work. Place about 2
teaspoons of the filling on the bottom half of each pastry round; brush the
edges with egg wash and fold them in half over the filling to form half-
moons. Seal the edges of the empanadas very well with your fingers and
make a ½-inch (3-mm) edge. Starting on one end of the edge, use your thumb
and forefinger to make pointy crimps about five times along the edges.
Transfer the empanadas to the baking sheets and chill them uncovered for 20
minutes (or up to 8 hours).
BAKE THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake them for 12 to 15
minutes, until golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking,
back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that all of the empanadas bake
evenly). Let them rest for 3 minutes and serve them warm.
NOTES: This is sticky dough. For easier rolling, roll the pastry on a
generously floured surface, flour the top of the pastry, and place a piece
of plastic wrap (or parchment paper) directly over the top of the pastry so
that the rolling pin doesn’t stick. If you need to re-roll the dough, brush
excess flour off the scraps with a clean pastry brush and gather up the
scraps; wrap them in plastic and chill them for 10 minutes.
Assemble the empanadas ahead and chill them for up to 8 hours before
baking. Or freeze them on the prepared sheet, unbaked; once solid,
transfer them to freezer-safe containers and keep them frozen for up to 4
months. Bake them directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the
baking time, or until they’re golden.
ROQUEFORT AND WALNUT MINI PIES, CORN AND SPANISH
SMOKED PAPRIKA TURNOVERS (THIS PAGE)
These empanadas are pungent, sweet, and nutty all at the same time. They’re
among the most elegant of all of the hand-held pies you’ll find in South
America. I’ve had these in the homes of both Argentinean and Chilean
friends, where they’re usually served as part of canapé platters during
cocktail hour or as a component of a cheese course. You’ll love the fact that
they can be made and frozen unbaked way ahead of time. Come time to cook
them, you won’t even have to thaw them, as they can go directly from freezer
to oven. I like to offer these on large trays arranged with clusters of grapes on
either end. Even if you think you don’t like blue cheese, give these a try; the
sweetness of the honey intermingled with the buttery pastry helps to mellow
the bite of the blue veins in the cheese. I like these empanadas relatively
small—just the right size that you can nibble on several of them, because
after you try one, you will undoubtedly crave another.
6 ounces (170 g) Roquefort cheese, crumbled

4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup (55 g) chopped walnuts
Honey for drizzling
MAKES 32 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, mix together the cheeses and
the nuts. Turn the mixture over onto a large piece of plastic wrap; roll it into a
log, and chill it for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: While the filling chills, make the dough
as directed on this page and let it rest, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator
for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (if the dough is too cold to roll, let it
sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling). Line two large baking
sheets with parchment paper; set them aside.
On a well-floured surface and with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the
pastry to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (like for piecrust). Keep lightly dusting
flour on your surface and rolling pin as you roll so that the pastry doesn’t tear
or stick (see Notes). Using a 3½-inch (9-cm) round cutter, cut 32 rounds,
rolling and cutting the scraps as needed. Keep them covered as you work.
Place 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling on the bottom half of each pastry
round and drizzle it lightly with about ¼ teaspoon honey; brush the edges of
the rounds with the egg wash and fold them in half over the filling to form
half-moons. Seal the edges of the empanadas very well with your fingers and
crimp them shut tight with the tines of a fork. It’s important to seal these
empanadas very well, or you’ll have cheese leakage. Use the tines of the fork
to poke vents on top of each empanada. Transfer the empanadas to the baking
sheets and chill them uncovered for 20 minutes (or up to 8 hours).

(205°C). Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake until they
are golden, 12 to 14 minutes (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through
baking, back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that all of the empanadas
bake evenly). Let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes and serve them warm.
generously floured surface, flour the top of the pastry, and use a piece of
plastic wrap (or parchment paper) directly over the top of the pastry so
To freeze the unbaked empanadas, do not brush the tops with egg wash.
Place them in one layer on the prepared baking sheets and freeze them
until solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe containers and keep them frozen
for up to 4 months. To bake, brush the tops of the frozen empanadas with
the egg wash. Bake them directly from the freezer, adding 3 to 5 more
minutes to the baking time, until they are golden.
I ate dobladas such as these several times in the city of Antigua, Guatemala,
where they drenched them in rich tomato sauce. Their name indicates that the
dough has been folded in half (doblar) to resemble a half-moon shape. If you
were to eat these in Mexico, they’d simply be known as quesadillas de
loroco, but in Central American territory, their name changes. Crispy masa
dough surrounds these vegetarian empanadas made with the buds of a
wildflower that grows in Central America, called loroco. Loroco can be
found frozen or in jars and its taste is reminiscent of asparagus and artichokes
(which you can substitute in a pinch). If you like the idea of serving them
with a red sauce, try the Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and Tomato Sauce on this
page, but if you prefer a lighter one, serve it with the Raw Tomatillo Salsa on
this page.
1 cup (185 g) seeded and minced plum tomatoes (see Notes)

1 cup (115 g) chopped loroco buds (fresh, frozen and thawed, or drained
from a jar)
½ cup (60 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella
½ cup (60 g) shredded queso seco or crumbled feta cheese
½ teaspoon crushed Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 recipe Masa Dough (this page)
1 recipe Raw Tomatillo Salsa (this page) or Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and
Tomato Sauce (this page)
1 cup (240 ml) Mexican crema or crème fraîche
MAKES 12 DOBLADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes,
loroco, mozzarella, queso seco or feta, oregano, salt, and pepper until
combined. Cover and chill the filling for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE DOBLADAS: After the filling chills, make the dough as
directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic or with a damp
towel, for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside. Divide the
dough into 12 equal portions (about 2½ ounces/70 g each). Roll each portion
into a ball and keep them covered with a damp kitchen towel as you work.
Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three
sides so that it opens like a book. Place a ball of masa in the middle of the
tortilla press and flatten it into a 5½-inch (14-cm) disc about ⅛ inch (3 mm)
thick. If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a flat-bottomed, heavy skillet to
press the dough. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the loroco filling in the
middle of the round, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over
the filling, forming a half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to
seal, and use a fork to crimp the edges. Transfer the doblada to the prepared
baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling, keeping the
dobladas covered as you go.
FRY THE DOBLADAS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a metal
cooling rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1½
inches (2.5 to 4 cm) of oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according to
the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the
dobladas into the oil. Fry them until golden, 4 to 6 minutes, turning them
over halfway though. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning
too quickly, lower the temperature and let the oil cool slightly before frying
any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried dobladas to the prepared
rack to drain. Serve them immediately with salsa and a dollop of crema or
crème fraîche or keep the dobladas warm for up to 1 hour in a 250°F (120°C)
oven.
NOTES: If your tomatoes are overly ripe, slice them in half and squeeze
them in your hands in order to remove some of the juices (so that the
filling isn’t too watery), then dice.
To freeze the dobladas, place the fried dobladas in a single layer on a

baking sheet lined with parchment paper; freeze them until solid and then
transfer them to freezer-safe bags or bins. They keep frozen for up to 3
months. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or
until the filling is hot.
These corn empanadas are filled with a luscious, gooey, and toothsome
black-and-white filling; hence, their name. Some cooks prefer to roll the
dough into thick discs, which yield a meatier texture. I like mine rolled
somewhat thin because they produce crispier empanadas. To do this, I use my
unorthodox but efficient tortilla press method (see this page). Normally,
cooks will roll the dough inside plastic wrap, using a rolling pin, then cut the
rounds with a plate or cup, instead of using a tortilla press—but either
technique works, of course. These pies are quick to assemble and offer a
protein-packed vegetarian option. Canned beans are great to have on hand for
whenever you wish to make these. If you happen to have leftover shredded
beef (see this page) and some fried plantains, add a bit to the filling and
you’ll have empanadas based on Venezuela’s national dish, called pabellón. I
serve these with tomato and onion salad, lightly dressed with lemon
vinaigrette.

1 cup (120 g) minced white onions
½ cup (50 g) minced leek (white and light green parts only)
1 ají dulce (sweet Caribbean pepper) or serrano pepper, seeded and
minced
1 teaspoon ground annatto (achiote) or Bijol (see Notes on this page)
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (15-ounce/430-g) cans whole black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 recipe Cornmeal Dough (this page)
6 ounces (170 g) queso blanco or mozzarella cheese, shredded
MAKES 18 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-
high heat. Add the onions, leeks, ají or serrano pepper, garlic, annatto or
Bijol, and cumin. Cook until the onions have softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add
the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce; stir well and cook for 30 seconds.
Add 1 cup (240 ml) water, the beans, salt, and black pepper; bring them to a
boil, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes or until they have
thickened, stirring regularly. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool;
cover and chill it thoroughly (at least 1 hour or overnight).
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic or with a damp
dough into 18 equal pieces (about 2 ounces/55 g each). Line a tortilla press
with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it
opens like a book. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the tortilla press and
flatten it into a 5-inch (12-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If you don’t
have a tortilla press, flatten each ball using a flat-bottomed, heavy skillet.
Place 2 tablespoons of the filling and 1 tablespoon of the cheese in the middle
of the round, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the dough over the
filling, forming a half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to
seal. Transfer the empanada to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the
rest of the dough and filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
These empanadas can be shaped and filled up to 1 hour before frying as long
as you keep them covered and chilled until you’re ready to fry.
FRY THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a
metal cooling rack and set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to
1½ inches (2.5 to 4 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C). You may also use
a deep-fryer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches
of 4 or 5 empanadas at a time, carefully slide them into the oil. Fry them until
the fried empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Serve them immediately,
or keep them warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
NOTE: Once fried, these empanadas can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Freeze them in a single layer on baking sheets lined with parchment
paper; once frozen solid, they can be transferred to freezer boxes or zip-
top bags. Reheat them at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until
their centers are hot.
Crispy and flaky pastry is a great backdrop for this creamy and tangy filling.
Brazilians feature hearts of palm (also known as palmitos) enthusiastically in
their cuisine. You’ll find them used in salads, soups, and stews, and
transformed into creams, such as the one that’s hidden within these
scrumptious empanadas. Hearts of palm are sold in jars or cans, packed in
acidic brine. I prefer to purchase them in jars that actually allow me to see
what I’m getting. My Brazilian friend, Janine, tells me that in Brazil, the
hearts of palm are usually left in large chunks as to provide crunch but that
my method produces a more elegant version of pastéis. I make this in a food
processor, but you could just as easily chop everything by hand. Either way,
you’ll want to serve these immediately after making them so that they don’t
become soggy. Since hearts of palm can be salty, there is little need for added
salt in this recipe.
1 (14½-ounce/410-g) jar hearts of palm, drained and sliced

½ cup (60 g) finely minced white onion
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley (leaves and tender stems)
2 tablespoons minced green onions (white and light green parts)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 recipe Pastéis Dough (this page)
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
MAKE THE FILLING: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal
blade, combine the hearts of palm, white onion, and garlic. Pulse until they
are finely chopped, about 6 one-second intervals, stopping to scrape the sides
of the bowl as needed. Add the cream cheese, parsley, and green onions and
pulse until combined, about 6 one-second intervals, stopping to scrape the
sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the hearts of palm mixture to a bowl
and season it with the salt and pepper. Cover with plastic and chill the filling
for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS: After the filling chills, make the dough as
directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic, for 20 minutes at
room temperature. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set it
aside. Divide the dough in half. Roll out the first half to 1/16 inch (2 mm)
thick (like for pasta). Using a pastry cutter or very sharp knife, cut it into 5-
by-6-inch (12-by-15-cm) rectangles. Re-roll the scraps together, wrap them in
the plastic, and allow them to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, repeat
with the other half of the dough, cutting and re-rolling the scraps (while
allowing the dough to rest in between), until you have 12 rectangles. You
may have to do this a third time, until all are cut. The bottom side of the
rectangles will be sticky; the top will be dry.
With a shorter side toward you and the sticky side facing up, place 2
tablespoons of the filling in the bottom half of each rectangle, leaving ½ inch
(12 mm) all around. Fold the top over the filling and seal all of the sides well
by pressing them together with your fingers. Crimp them shut with the tines
of a fork. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
FRY THE PASTÉIS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a metal
cooling rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat ½ to 1 inch
(about 2 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according
to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the
pastéis into the oil. Fry them until they’re puffy and golden, 1½ to 2 minutes,
turning them over halfway though. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and
they’re browning too quickly, lower the temperature and let the oil cool
slightly before frying any more. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place
them on the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes and
serve.
NOTE: Pastéis are best fried immediately after shaping and eaten
immediately after they’re fried. Freeze them uncooked and uncovered in a
single layer; once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and keep them
frozen for up to 3 months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters)
for 3 to 3½ minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.
These tropical, gluten-free empanadas are crispy and chewy at the same time.
As if that weren’t enough deliciousness, they’re filled with gooey queso
blanco—a mild, white melting cheese, now being produced in the United
States. Cassava (or yuca) has a taste reminiscent of potato, but sweeter.
Processing it activates its starch content, making it gluey to work with. This
is precisely what helps the dough to hold together when molded into
empanadas. Although these empanadas may look flat when first assembled,
they actually puff up during the cooking (and reheating) process. Keep your
hands moist to shape the dough into balls, and use my tortilla-press method
(see this page) to produce these empanadas without much effort. I like to
make several batches of these, which I fry and then freeze. I simply reheat as
many as I want in a hot oven and serve them on their own, with chimichurri
(this page), or as a side dish to any roast or grilled meat and poultry. Purchase
fresh or frozen, peeled, and sectioned yuca if you can, but stay away from the
canned stuff, which is too mushy and won’t work here.
1 recipe Cassava or Yuca Dough (this page)

10 ounces (280 g) queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese
Salt for sprinkling
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: Make the dough as directed on this page
and let it rest, covered with plastic, for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside. With moistened
hands, divide the dough into 12 to 14 portions (about 2 ounces/55 g each).
Moisten your hands again and shape them into small balls. Cut the cheese
into slices measuring approximately 1½ by 2½ inches (4 by 6 cm) and ¼ inch
(6 mm) thick. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut
open on three sides like a book.
Place a ball in the middle of the bag; flatten it slightly. Place the bag in the
tortilla press and flatten the ball into a 4½-inch (11-cm) disc about ⅛ inch (3
mm) thick. If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a flat-bottomed heavy skillet
to press it down. Place one slice of cheese in the middle of the disc, leaving a
small rim; use the bag to fold the dough over the filling, forming a half-
moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal well. Transfer the
empanada to the prepared sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling,
keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
metal cooling rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1½
empanadas into the oil. Fry them until they are golden, about 4 minutes,
turning them over halfway through. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and
slightly before frying any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried
empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Sprinkle them with salt, let them
rest for 1 to 2 minutes, and serve.
NOTE: To freeze after frying, cool the empanadas thoroughly and place
them in a single layer on baking sheets. Freeze until solid; transfer them
to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 4 months. Heat them in a 350°F
(175°C) oven until heated through, 12 to 15 minutes.
Addictive and sweet, these fried, elegant vegetarian morsels are native to
Ecuador. They are crumbly and delicate, and are said to be made of air
(viento). My variation includes a touch of leeks, which are sweeter in taste
than onions. Their subtle flavor is magnified by a generous coating of
crunchy sugar that turns these pastries into crispy and sweet delights. In
Ecuador, they’re just served by themselves as a snack. I like to serve them as
part of a cheese tray composed of seasonal fruit; a mix of creamy, blue, and
sharp cheeses; and quince or guava paste. Paired with a dessert wine or
sparkling wine, they make an elegant end to any meal.
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (100 g) finely chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
2¼ cups (270 g) grated queso fresco or Monterey Jack
1 recipe Master Dough (this page)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
MAKES 26 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and leeks; sauté until they are softened, 2
to 3 minutes. Remove them from the heat and let them cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion mixture with the cheese. Chill the
filling, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: While the filling chills, make the dough
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic or a damp towel,
for 1 hour at room temperature.
Dust a clean surface with flour; roll out the pastry to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
(like for piecrust). Use a 3¾-inch (9.5-cm) round cutter to cut 26 rounds, re-
rolling the scraps as needed, until all the rounds are cut (see Notes). Keep the
rounds covered with a damp cloth as you work. Working with a few pastry
rounds at a time, moisten the edges with the egg wash and place 1 tablespoon
of the filling in the center of each round. Fold the top of the dough over the
filling to form half-moon shapes. Press the edges with your fingers, then
press them again with the tines of a fork to seal. It will be helpful to press out
the air from the middle of the empanadas as you shape them, so that they
don’t puff up excessively as they fry. Set the empanadas on a baking sheet
(keeping them covered with a clean kitchen towel as you work); refrigerate
them uncovered for 1 hour.
FRY THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Fit a baking sheet with a metal
cooling rack and set it aside. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl; set it aside.
In a Dutch oven, heat 2 inches (5 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C). Or

use a deep-fryer, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fry the
empanadas in batches until they’re golden, 1½ to 2 minutes, turning them so
that both sides cook. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning
any more. Remove the empanadas with a slotted spoon and place them on the
rack to drain; let them cool for 1 minute. While they are still warm, roll them
in the sugar, coating all sides. Set them back on the rack; let them cool
slightly before serving.
NOTES: The less you play with this dough, the more tender it will be, so
I suggest you try to cut as many rounds as you possibly can from the first
roll. Knead the scraps back together for 30 seconds (just until the dough
holds back together), cover it with plastic or with a damp towel, and let it
rest for 10 minutes before re-rolling. If the dough still shrinks as you roll
it, step back, let it rest on the counter, covered, for 10 minutes, and then
roll it out again. To get all of the rounds, you’ll have to roll the dough
very thinly.
These are best eaten fresh. You can shape the empanadas ahead of time
and place them uncooked, in a single layer, on a baking sheet; freeze them
until solid, then transfer them to bags and freeze them for up to 1 month.
They can go directly from freezer to fryer without thawing. You’ll need to
fry them for about 3 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Roll them in the
sugar and serve.
BY FAR, MOST OF THE EMPANADAS
IN LATIN AMERICA ARE FILLED
WITH BEEF AND PORK, SO IT’S NO
COINCIDENCE THAT THIS IS THE
LONGEST CHAPTER IN THIS BOOK.
In Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay (the heart of empanada territory), there are
hundreds of recipes for beef empanadas. In Argentina alone, they vary by
region, by city, and by household. Some are studded with raisins; others are
splashed with vinegar; some are heavily dressed with sautéed onions; while
others are made only with beef that has been minced by hand. Selecting
which ones to include in this chapter in a way that reflects the entirety of the
Latin American territory was no easy task. For this reason, rather than
attempting to be comprehensive, I decided to select just my favorite recipes
to include here. The recipes in this chapter won’t disappoint. You’ll find the
famous envelope-shaped empanadas from Chile called empanadas de pino,
and the cassava-crusted beef empanadas from the Dominican Republic called
cativias.
Pork is another favored ingredient used to stuff empanadas. Many pork

empanada renditions showcase the combination of sweet and savory flavors
that were featured in the original empanadas that arrived with the Spanish
colonizers centuries ago. They remain embedded in the empanada registry of
Latin America. Among these are several that are encrusted with a generous
coating of sugar so that every bite offers a bit of meat and a bit of sweetness.
Depending on your mood (and your appetite), these empanadas can be served
as part of a meal or as the appetizers before supper. These are the recipes that
have made Latin American empanadas famous around the world. Enjoy them
and share them with others, continuing to spread this love affair with the
hand-held pies of the New World.
There is an empanada competition held in Tucumán, Argentina, every year,
in which several dozen competitors vie for the first prize of the Empanada de
Oro. These large empanadas are stuffed with a mixture of tender beef that is
moist and spicy. What makes these pies special is that the beef—usually
flank steak—is first cooked and then diced by hand. This hand-cut beef is
called carne a cuchillo (“knife-cut beef”), and cooks in this region of
Argentina consider it a sacrilege to use ground beef. Plan to make this filling
hours before assembling the empanadas (preferably the night before) so that
the juices in the filling have time to thicken in the refrigerator. Once baked,
these empanadas will be moist inside but not soupy. Traditional Tucumán
empanadas are not brushed with egg wash and have a matte look; I prefer
them shiny and like to use it.
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups (240 g) finely chopped white onions
2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
2½ teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1¼ pounds (455 to 570 g) Cooked Flank Steak (this page), finely
diced
1½ cups (360 ml) beef broth (or cooking liquid from the flank)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 hard-boiled eggs (see this page), peeled and finely chopped
¾ cup (50 g) thinly sliced green onions (white and light green parts)
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg and 2 teaspoons water (optional)
MAKES 28 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the oil in a large skillet with high sides over
medium-high heat. Add the white onions and cook, stirring, until softened,
about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, and black
pepper, stirring well to combine. Add the beef and broth, stirring to combine.
Bring them to a boil; lower the heat to medium and continue cooking,
uncovered, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes (the
beef mixture should be moist). Remove the filling from the heat and stir in
the vinegar; cover and chill the filling completely, at least 3 hours (preferably
overnight).
minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 28 equal pieces (about 2
(the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and
cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 10 minutes. On a well-floured
surface, press each ball slightly into a flat disc. Line a tortilla press with a
zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it opens like a
book. Place a disc in the middle of the tortilla press and flatten it into a 5-inch
(12-cm) round, ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack
the discs with parchment paper in between to avoid sticking.
Stir the eggs and green onions into the filling. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of
the filling in the center of each empanada. Fold the bottom of the dough to
meet the top of the disc, encasing the filling and forming a half-moon, and
press the edges together well. Make ½-inch (12-mm) edges by pressing the
rims between your fingers using the repulgue method (see this page). The
empanadas can sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes before
baking or can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before baking.

(230°C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the
empanadas on the prepared pans and brush them with the egg wash, if using.
Bake them for 28 to 30 minutes, until their bottoms are golden (rotate the
pans in the oven halfway through baking, back to front and top to bottom, to
ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to a
cooling rack; let them cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

These empanadas are sweet, briny, meaty, and a meal unto themselves.
Unlike their Argentinean counterparts (see this page), they’re folded into
rustic packages that resemble envelopes and don’t have intricately shaped
borders. This whimsical way of shaping them has made them famous around
the world. Their crusts are painted with an egg and milk wash that lacquers
them, making them very shiny. In Chile, the beef (pino) is traditionally
minced by hand. I find it easier to shape these empanadas one at a time, so I
roll, fill, and shape consecutively until I’m done with all of them (as opposed
to shaping the discs first). Serve these alone or with a side of Red Pepper
Salsa (this page).
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 cups (240 g) finely chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds (910 g) Cooked Flank Steak (this page), finely diced
½ cup (85 g) golden raisins
22 whole pitted green or Manzanilla olives
6 hard-boiled eggs (see this page), peeled and quartered
1 egg white, beaten
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg and 2 teaspoons half-and-half or milk
MAKES 22 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high
heat. Add the onions; cook until they start to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add
the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, salt, oregano,
and pepper; stir well. Add the beef and raisins; cook for 2 minutes. Add ½
cup (120 ml) water (or cooking liquid from the steak) and simmer it for 30
seconds, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the filling from the heat;
transfer it to a large plate and let it cool for 30 minutes. Cover and chill it for
at least 2 hours or overnight.
towel, for 10 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 22 equal
pieces (about 2¾ ounces/75 g each). Roll each piece into a ball, folding the
bottom of the dough onto itself so that the ends are at the bottom and the tops
are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a lightly floured
baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 10 minutes.
On a well-floured surface, press each ball slightly into a flat disc.
sides so that it opens like a book. Place a disc in the middle of the tortilla
press and flatten it into a 6½-inch (16.5-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm)
thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper
in between to avoid sticking.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Place ¼ cup
(60 ml) of the filling, one-quarter of an egg, and an olive in the bottom half of
a disc, leaving a ½-inch (12-mm) rim without filling. Fold the bottom of the
dough to meet the top of the disc, encasing the filling and forming a half-
moon, and press the edges together well. Flatten it to make a 1-inch (2.5-cm)
rim all around; brush the top of the rim with some of the egg white. Fold the
side rims toward the middle of the empanada; fold the top rim toward the
middle (like an envelope). Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings, until
all the ingredients are used. The empanadas can sit uncovered at room
temperature for 20 minutes before baking, or can be refrigerated for up to 1
hour before baking.

(205°C). Place the empanadas on the prepared pans and brush them with the
egg wash. Bake the empanadas for 28 to 30 minutes, until their tops are
golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking, back to front and
top to bottom, to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the
empanadas to a cooling rack. Let them rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve them hot
or at room temperature.

In Bolivia, there are festivals entirely dedicated to salteñas, where bakers vie
for the coveted first prize. Among what judges look for are the color of the
dough—which should be from a golden yellow to a bright orange hue—and
the juiciness of the stew, which in some cases runs down your arms. The
juicier they are, the harder they are to make. This version is moist, but not too
juicy. Beef salteñas are the most traditional of these football-shaped pies. The
proper way to eat them is to first bite off one of the corners, then add a dash
of hot sauce and drink the juices that flow out. Take care not to crowd the
salteñas on the baking sheets, or they’ll stick together, causing the juices to
ooze out.
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

2 cups (480 ml) cold low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup (100 g) finely chopped green bell peppers
1 tablespoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1 tablespoon annatto paste (achiote) or Bijol (see Notes on this page)
2 cups (260 g) peeled and finely chopped Yukon gold potatoes
1 pound (455 g) tri-tip or flat-iron steak, finely chopped
1 cup (120 g) green peas
½ cup (20 g) finely chopped fresh parsley (tender stems and leaves)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 recipe Salteña Dough (this page)
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large, heat-resistant glass bowl, combine the
gelatin and broth; stir to mix it together and let it sit for 2 minutes. Heat the
gelatin mixture in the microwave on high for 1½ minutes, until the gelatin is
dissolved (or over medium-low heat in a double boiler for 3 to 4 minutes); set
aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell
peppers; cook until they are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paprika and
annatto or Bijol; cook for 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, stirring until the
spices are dissolved. Add the potatoes, beef, peas, parsley, sugar, salt, cumin,
oregano, and black pepper; bring the liquid to a boil and cook, uncovered,
until the potatoes are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the stew to a medium
bowl and set it over a large bowl of iced water to cool it quickly. Cool the
stew completely; cover it with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 6 hours or
overnight (the mixture will jell).
ASSEMBLE THE SALTEÑAS: After the filling chills, make the dough as
towel, for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature.
Dust two baking sheets with flour; set them aside. Divide the dough into 26
to 28 equal portions (about 3 ounces/85 g each). Roll each piece into a ball,
folding the bottom of the dough onto itself so that the ends are at the bottom
and the tops are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a
prepared baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 20
minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Working one at
a time on a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball slightly into a disc. Line a
tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides
so that it opens like a book. Place the disc in the middle of the tortilla press
and press the dough into a 6-inch (15-cm) disc, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (or
roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper in
between to avoid sticking.
Place 3 heaping tablespoons of the jelled filling in the middle of the disc;
bring the edges of the pastry together, letting the dough stretch over the
filling. Enclose the filling (press the filling down with your forefinger to
compact it). Form a half-moon and, holding it by the top edges, stand the
salteña on its bottom, flattening it so it can stand without toppling. Pinch the
edges tightly, and press to form a small rim, about ½ inch (12 mm) wide.
Then pinch and fold sections of the rim decoratively to seal it well (as you
would a dumpling, by gathering the dough starting at one end and pressing it
together at ½-inch (12-mm) intervals, until it’s all sealed). Stand the salteñas
on the prepared pans and chill them for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
BAKE THE SALTEÑAS AND SERVE: Preheat the oven to 425°F

(220°C). Brush the salteñas with the egg wash. Bake them for 35 to 40
minutes, or until they are golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through
bake evenly). Transfer the salteñas to a cooling rack. Let them cool for 5 to
10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: To freeze the salteñas, cool them thoroughly after baking in a

single layer. Freeze them until solid. Store them in containers for up to 4
months; reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot, 15 to 20 minutes.
Sweet plantains surround spicy beef filling in these empanadas that Central
Americans call pasteles. Others in Latin America know them as empanadas
de maduros (ripe plantain empanadas). The filling is seasoned heavily and
contrasts with the sweetness of the dough. Serve these with crema, Avocado
Salsa (this page), or Red Pepper Salsa (this page). Make these for brunch, as
they pair deliciously with eggs; they’re also great with a side of rice and
beans. You will need a food processor to make this recipe.
1 cup (120 g) roughly chopped white onions

1 cup (100 g) roughly chopped red bell peppers
½ cup (90 g) seeded and roughly chopped plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño or serrano pepper (seeded and deveined if
less heat is desired)
2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
¾ pound (340 g) lean ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 recipe Sweet Plantain Dough (this page)
⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour (or rice flour or chickpea flour for gluten-
free)
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Place the onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapeño
or serrano pepper, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a
metal blade; process until smooth. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over
medium-high heat; add the processed mixture and cook until it is thickened, 2
to 3 minutes. Add the beef, breaking it down with the back of the spoon until
it’s no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, oregano, and
cumin and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; cook, stirring, for
5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Let the filling cool completely; cover
and chill it for at least 1 hour or overnight.
as directed on this page. Use immediately. Divide the dough into 12 equal
portions (about 2 ounces/55 g each). With moistened hands, roll each into a
ball, keeping them covered as you work. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top
freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it opens like a book.
Place a ball of dough in the middle of the tortilla press and flatten it into a
5½-inch (14-cm) disc about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If you don’t have a tortilla
press, use a flat-bottomed, heavy skillet to press it down.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Place 2
heaping tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the disc, leaving a ½-inch
(12-mm) rim; use the bag to fold the dough over the filling, forming a half-
moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal well. Place the
empanada on a prepared pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling,
keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
metal cooling rack set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat ½ to 1
inch (12 mm to 2.5 cm) of oil to 350°F (175°C) or use a deep-fryer according
to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, dredge the empanadas
in the flour and slide them into the vegetable oil. Fry them until they are
golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, turning them over halfway through. If the
oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning too quickly, lower the
temperature and cool the oil slightly before frying any more (see Notes). Use
a slotted spoon to transfer the fried empanadas to the prepared rack to drain.
Let them rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
NOTES: This dough is simple to make but you must keep a close eye on
empanadas made with plantains as they fry, as their high sugar content
can cause the dough to burn. Since all of the ingredients are already
cooked, all that is needed is to sear the exteriors, which will help the
sweet plantains caramelize into golden deliciousness. Dredging the
empanadas in flour lightly before frying them prevents them from sticking
to the bottom of the pan as they fry.
It is best to make the empanadas the day they are to be served. To freeze,
let the fried empanadas cool and place them on a baking sheet in a single
layer. Freeze until solid; transfer them to freezer containers and freeze
them for up to 2 months. Bake, without thawing, in a 400°F (205°C) oven
for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot.
In Mexico, stuff raw masa with cheese, fold it in half, seal the edges, cook it,
and you’ve got a quesadilla (unlike their American counterparts that are made
by sandwiching two tortillas with cheese). But stuff masa with any other
filling and it’s called an empanada, even if it looks and cooks exactly the
same way. These are stuffed with sauced-up shredded beef and garnished
with a colorful potpourri of toppings. A little bit of the sauce added to the
masa gives it a red hue. Dried chiles are easy to find in most grocery stores
(see Sources, this page). Serve these empanadas with plenty of toppings and
Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and Tomato Sauce (this page).
3 dried ancho chiles

3 dried guajillo chiles
Boiling water
1½ pounds (680 g) Cooked Flank Steak (this page), finely shredded
Shredded iceberg lettuce for garnish
Seeded and chopped plum tomatoes for garnish
2 Hass avocados, finely chopped
2 cups (480 ml) Mexican crema or sour cream
1 cup (100 g) crumbled queso seco or grated pecorino Romano
1 recipe Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and Tomato Sauce (this page)
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Place the ancho and guajillo chiles in a medium
bowl and cover them with boiling water (set a heavy plate on top to keep
them submerged). Soak the chiles for 15 minutes; remove them from the
water with tongs and reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the soaking liquid (discard the
rest). Make a slit in each chile and remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Place
the chiles in a blender and pour ½ cup (120 ml) of the soaking liquid over
them; add the garlic and blend until smooth, adding more of the soaking
liquid as needed (1 tablespoon at a time) to make ½ cup (120 ml) of thick
paste. Transfer the chile paste to a small bowl; season it with the salt and
pepper. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of the paste to the beef and stir well; cover and
chill it for 1 hour (or overnight). Cover the remaining paste and refrigerate
until needed (up to 2 days).
as directed on this page, adding ¼ cup (60 ml) of the chile paste to the dough.
Knead it well, until the masa has uniformly taken on a red hue, and let it rest,
covered with plastic or with a damp towel, for 10 minutes at room
temperature.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Line a tortilla press
opens like a book. Divide the masa into 12 equal portions (about 2½
ounces/70 g each). Roll each portion into a ball and keep them covered with a
damp kitchen towel as you work. Place a ball of masa in the middle of the
press the dough. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in the middle of
the empanada, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over the
filling, forming a half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to
seal. Transfer the empanada to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the
rest of the dough and filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
empanadas into the oil. Fry them until golden, 4 to 6 minutes, turning them
over halfway through. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning
any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried empanadas to the prepared
rack to drain. Serve the empanadas warm, topped with lettuce, tomatoes,
avocados, crema or sour cream, cheese, and sauce.
NOTE: These empanadas are best eaten right after frying them. Once
fried, these can be frozen for up to 4 months. Freeze them in a single layer
on baking sheets lined with parchement paper; once frozen solid, transfer
them to containers and freeze. Reheat them at 350°F (175°C) until their
centers are warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
These crispy corn empanadas are filled with succulent shredded beef. There
are many recipes for shredded beef in Latin America, but the taste of cumin is
what most distinguishes the carne mechada of Venezuela. In Sucre, it’s made
with Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, and in the state of Nueva
Esparta, it’s often flavored with leeks and green onions. This version is one
of my favorite recipes and is based on the empanadas served in Caracas. This
style of cooked beef is an important ingredient in their national dish called
pabellón, which also contains black beans, rice, and sweet plantains. More
often than not, these empanadas are made with leftovers from a previous
meal. I like to serve these with a side of Avocado Salsa (this page), but they
are just as succulent paired with a simple lettuce, onion, and tomato salad.
1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup (60 g) minced yellow onion
¼ cup (30 g) minced red bell pepper
½ cup (90 g) seeded and minced plum tomatoes
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 1¼ pounds (455 to 570 g) shredded Cooked Flank Steak (this page)
1 cup (240 ml) reserved broth from cooking the steak or low-sodium beef
broth
MAKES 20 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over
medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook for 2 minutes, or
until they’re softened. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, and
cumin. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the
beef and broth; stir well to combine. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of
the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the parsley, remove the filling from the
heat, and let it cool completely. Cover and chill it for at least 2 hours or
overnight.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Divide the
dough into 20 equal pieces (about 2½ ounces/70 g each). Line a tortilla press
flatten it into a 5-inch (12-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (see Notes).
If you don’t have a tortilla press, flatten each ball using a flat-bottomed,
heavy skillet.
Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the round, leaving
a small rim. Use the bag to fold the dough over the filling, forming a half-
moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal. Transfer the
empanada to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and
filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go. These empanadas can be
shaped and filled up to 1 hour before frying as long as you keep them covered
and chilled until you’re ready to fry.
1½ inches (2.5 to 4 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C). You may also use
a deep-fryer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches
of 4 or 5 empanadas at a time, carefully slide them into the oil. Fry them until
the fried empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Serve them immediately,
or keep them warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
NOTES: Some cooks prefer to roll the dough into thicker discs, which
yield a meatier texture. I like mine rolled somewhat thin because they
produce crispier empanadas. To do so, my tortilla press method (see this
page) is particularly essential but you can experiment with different
methods and thicknesses to find your favorite.
Once fried, these empanadas can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze

them in a single layer on baking sheets lined with parchment paper; once
frozen solid, they can be transferred to containers. Reheat them at 350°F
(175°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until their centers are hot.
Lomo saltado is the most famous stir-fried beef of Peru, where Asian culinary
traditions permeate the cuisine. The beef—usually from the tenderloin—is
traditionally seasoned with soy sauce (Peruvians call it sillao) and served
over white rice, with a hefty addition of French fries. Recently, however, it
has also become a filling for large, comforting, ravioli-shaped empanadas
such as these. Serve them alone or as part of a meal with a side of fries and a
tomato salad. Peruvian eateries often have two or three different hot sauces to
serve with empanadas. My favorite is the Yellow Pepper Aioli (this page), so
I always serve it on the side, but your favorite hot sauces will work great too.
1 pound (455 g) beef tenderloin or flat-iron steak, cut into thin strips (2
by ½ inch/5 cm by 12 mm)
4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil
3 cups (360 g) thin strips white onions
2 cups (185 g) thin strips red bell peppers
1 cup (185 g) thin strips seeded Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup (20 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
⅓ cup (20 g) thinly sliced bias-cut green onions
1 large egg white, beaten
Egg wash, made with 1 beaten egg yolk and 2 teaspoons half-and-half or
milk
MAKES 14 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Heat 1
tablespoon of the oil in a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add half of the beef and cook, stirring, until it is seared, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove it to a plate. Add another 1 tablespoon of the oil and repeat with the
remaining beef; set it aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and, when
hot, add the white onions and bell peppers. Cook while stirring until they
begin to soften but are still crisp, 2½ to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and soy
sauce and cook for 2 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove
from the heat; add the beef and stir well. Season it with the salt and black
pepper; cool it slightly and stir in the cilantro and green onions. Cover and
chill the filling for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Divide the dough into 28 equal pieces (about 2 ounces/55 g each). Roll each
piece into a ball, folding the bottom of the dough onto itself so that the ends
are at the bottom and the tops are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place
them on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel. Let
them rest for 10 minutes. On a well-floured surface, press each ball slightly
into a flat disc. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been
cut open on three sides so that it opens like a book. Place a disc in the middle
of the bag and flatten it slightly. Place the dough in the middle of the tortilla
press and flatten it into a 5-inch (12-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
(or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper in
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Working with
one disc at a time, brush the edges with the egg white and center a heaping ¼
cup (60 ml) of the filling on it. Top with a second disc; the elastic dough will
stretch over the filling until the edges of both discs meet. Press down the
edges to form a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim. Use your index finger and thumb to roll
and pinch sections of the dough along the rim at ½-inch (12-mm) intervals to
form a decorative (rustic) edge. Transfer the empanada to a prepared baking
sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings, until all the ingredients
are used. The empanadas can sit uncovered at room temperature for 20
minutes before baking or can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before baking.

(205°C). Brush the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake them for 30 to 35
minutes, or until their bottoms are golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway
through baking, back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that all of the
empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to a cooling rack. Let them
rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: After baking, cool and then freeze the empanadas in a single
layer until solid; transfer them to zip-top bags or freezer boxes. Freeze
them for up to 3 months. To reheat, place them in a 350°F (175°C) oven
for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.
My next-door neighbor, Janine Hertzog Santos, is from the town of Porto
Alegre in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We talked at length about
the empanada tradition in her country and she was the inspiration for the
pastéis recipes in this book. Not surprisingly, I trekked over to her house with
freshly made pastéis so she could try them. She told me these reminded her
of her mother’s. Nothing could have made me happier! These are very similar
to the pastéis made in the outdoor fairs in Brazil, with the exception that
they’re a bit smaller. Make sure to roll out the dough very thinly so that it
will blister when it fries; that will ensure that they are crispy and brittle. In
Brazil, these are often served with a light tomato salad. I like to eat them with
Red Pepper Salsa (this page) and a cold beer.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying

⅓ cup (40 g) finely chopped white onion
¾ pound (340 g) lean ground beef
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (tender stems and
leaves)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large, nonstick pan, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil
over medium-high heat. Add the white onion and garlic and cook for 1
minute. Add the beef and brown it, breaking up the meat with the back of a
spoon, until it’s no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ cup (120 ml) water
and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed,
7 to 8 minutes. Fit a strainer on a bowl and drain the beef mixture; discard the
liquid. Put the beef in the bowl and stir in the parsley, green onions, salt, and
pepper. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 1 hour or
overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS: After the filling chills, make the dough as
Fit a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside. Divide the dough
in half. Roll out the first half to 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick (like for pasta). Using
a pastry cutter or very sharp knife, cut it into 5-by-6-inch (12-by-15-cm)
rectangles. Re-roll the scraps together, wrap them in the plastic, and allow
them to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, repeat with the other half of the
dough, cutting and re-rolling the scraps (while allowing the dough to rest in
between), until you have 12 rectangles. You may have to do this a third time,
until all are cut. The bottom side of the rectangles will be sticky; the top
should be dry.
by pressing them together with your fingers. Crimp them tightly with the
tines of a fork. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
(about 2 cm) of oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according to the
manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the pastéis into
the oil. Fry them until they’re puffy and golden, 1½ to 2 minutes, turning
them over halfway through. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re
browning too quickly, lower the temperature and let the oil cool slightly
before frying any more. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on
the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes and serve.
immediately after they’re fried. You can freeze them uncooked, in a
single layer; once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and keep them
frozen for up to 3 months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters)
for 3 to 3½ minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.
These rich empanadas, called cativias, have a crunchy exterior and a
deliciously chewy texture that marries beautifully with the beef filling hidden
inside. They taste like crispy hash browns stuffed with beef. Cassava has a
flavor reminiscent of potatoes, but its flesh renders a sturdier texture that
holds its shape when fried; its subtle sweetness makes these little pies
impossible to resist. They are among my husband’s favorite empanadas.
Ordinarily, cassava (or yuca) dough is extremely sticky and difficult to shape;
my tortilla press method (see this page) solves that problem. These
empanadas must be fried as soon as they’re shaped, but freeze beautifully and
are easy to reheat. I make several batches at a time and keep them in my
freezer. On busy nights, I’ll reheat as many as I want. I recommend using a
food processor to make these empanadas.

1 cup (85 g) roughly chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
½ cup (90 g) seeded and roughly chopped plum tomatoes
½ cup (20 g) roughly chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ pound (225 g) lean ground beef
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 recipe Cassava or Yuca Dough (this page)
MAKE THE FILLING: Place the onions, leeks, tomatoes, parsley, garlic,
and tomato paste in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade;
pulse until the mixture is smooth (about 15 one-second intervals), stopping to
scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the beef, salt, and pepper
and process until all is combined (8 to 10 one-second intervals), stopping to
scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high

heat. Add the meat mixture and cook, breaking it down with a spoon, until it
is no longer pink and all of the liquid has evaporated, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove
the filling from the heat and let it cool completely. Transfer it to a bowl;
cover and chill the filling for at least 1 hour or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: After the filling is chilled, make the

dough as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic or with a
damp towel, for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. With
moistened hands, divide the dough into 12 to 14 portions (about 2 ounces/55
g each). Moisten your hands again and shape them into small balls. Line a
so that it opens like a book. Place a ball in the middle of the tortilla press and
flatten it into a 4½-inch (11-cm) disc about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If you don’t
have a tortilla press, flatten each ball using a flat-bottomed, heavy skillet.
Place 1½ packed tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the disc, leaving a
small rim; use the bag to fold the dough over the filling, forming a half-
moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal well. Transfer the
empanada to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and
filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
empanadas into the oil. Fry them until they are golden, about 4 minutes,
empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Sprinkle them with salt, let them
rest for 1 to 2 minutes, and serve.
NOTE: To freeze after frying, cool the empanadas thoroughly and place
them in a single layer on baking sheets. Freeze until solid; transfer them
to freezer bags and freeze for up to 4 months. Heat them in a 350°F
(175°C) oven until heated through, 12 to 15 minutes.
SUGAR-COATED PORK AND RAISIN TURNOVERS, SWEET AND
SAVORY PORK PIES (THIS PAGE)
I cut my teeth on empanadas such as these sweet, meaty pockets. I created
this recipe in honor of my beloved Tía María, who made similar pork pies.
My rendition has a moist filling, with a slight hint of tomatoes and a pleasant
brininess from the olives hidden inside. The sweet spices are reminiscent of
the pie’s Moorish culinary influences, harking back to the Middle Ages. The
crust is lightly coated with sugar, so that every bite is both sweet and savory.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
½ pound (255 g) ground pork
½ cup (120 ml) canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons sour orange juice (or half lemon juice, half orange juice)
1 (3-inch/7½-cm) stick Mexican cinnamon (canela)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup (40 g) black raisins
¼ cup (30 g) sliced green olives
¼ cup (30 g) slivered almonds, toasted
⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil
over medium-high heat; cook the onions until they are soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork
and cook while breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it’s no longer pink,
2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sour orange juice, cinnamon, salt, pepper,
cloves, and thyme. Lower the heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, until the
liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat;
discard the cinnamon. Stir in the raisins, olives, and almonds. Transfer the
mixture to a baking sheet, spreading it out evenly; cover and chill it for at
least 2 hours or overnight.
towel, for 1 hour at room temperature. Dust a clean surface with flour; roll
out the dough to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (like for piecrust). Use a 3½-inch (9-
cm) round cutter to cut out 24 to 26 rounds, re-rolling the scraps as needed,
until all the rounds are cut (see Notes). Keep the rounds covered with damp
cloth as you work. Working with a few pastry rounds at a time, moisten the
edges with the egg wash and place 2 heaping teaspoons of the filling in the
middle of each round. Fold the top of the dough over the filling to form half-
moon shapes. Press the edges together tightly. Use the tines of a fork to seal
the edges shut. It will be helpful to press out the air from the middle of the
empanadas as you shape them, so that they don’t puff up excessively as they
fry. Set the empanadas on a baking sheet (keeping them covered with a clean
kitchen towel as you work); refrigerate them uncovered for 1 hour.
FRY THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Fit a baking sheet with a metal
cooling rack; set it aside. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl; set it aside. In a
large Dutch oven, heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-
fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Working in batches,
carefully slide the empanadas into the oil and fry them until they are golden,
about 2 minutes, turning them halfway through to cook both sides. If the oil
gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning too quickly, lower the
temperature and let the oil cool slightly before frying any more. Use a slotted
spoon to remove the empanadas from the oil and place them on the rack to
drain; let them cool for 1 minute. While they are still warm, roll them in the
sugar, coating all sides. Serve them hot or at room temperature.
holds together), cover the dough with plastic or a damp towel, and let it
very thinly.
These are best eaten fresh. You can shape the empanadas ahead of time
and place them uncooked, in a single layer, on a baking sheet; freeze them
until solid, then transfer them to freezer bags and keep them frozen for up
to 3 months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters) for 2 to 3
minutes, or until golden. Once fried, roll them in sugar.
Like many classic dishes in Latin America, these meaty individual pies
feature sweet and sour flavors known as agridulce, clear descendants of
recipes that arrived to the New World with the conquerors in the sixteenth
century. The distinctive flavor of nutmeg is a quick giveaway. My
Nicaraguan sister-in-law, Tey, introduced me to these plump, round
empanadas, widely sold in pastry shops and street-side cafés. They’re usually
large enough to fill a small plate, but are popular finger food too. Roll them
in sugar while they’re still warm so it will stick to their surface. If you want
an alternative to frying, you can bake these (see this page): you won’t be able
to roll them in sugar, but they’ll still be delectable. Enjoy them with a cup of
coffee as a snack, or with a glass of wine before dinner.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying

½ pound (225 g) ground pork
¼ cup (30 g) finely chopped green bell pepper
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ cup (100 g) peeled and finely diced Yukon gold potatoes, boiled until
fork tender
¼ cup (40 g) black raisins
1 tablespoons small capers, rinsed
1 large hard-boiled egg (see this page), peeled and finely chopped
1 cup (200 g) sugar
MAKES 12 PASTELITOS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large sauté pan, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil
over medium-high heat. Add the pork, breaking it up with a spoon and
cooking it until no pink remains, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, pepper,
garlic, nutmeg, and salt; continue cooking until the onion is softened, about 2
minutes. Add the potatoes, raisins, and capers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring
constantly. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes in
the pan. Stir in the chopped egg. Transfer the filling to a bowl; cover and chill
it for at least 2 hours or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE PASTELITOS: After the filling chills, make the dough
towel, for 1 hour at room temperature.
Dust a clean surface with flour. Roll out the dough to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
(like for piecrust). Use a 3¾-inch (9.5-cm) round cutter to cut 24 rounds, re-
rolling the scraps as needed, until all the rounds are cut (see Notes). Keep
them covered as you work.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Working with
one disc at a time, brush the edges with the egg wash. Place 2 tablespoons of
the filling in the center of the disc. Top with a second disc; press down the
edges to form a ½-inch (12-mm) rim. Use your index finger and thumb to roll
and pinch sections of the dough along the rim at ½-inch (12-mm) intervals to
form a decorative (rustic) edge (see photo on this page). Transfer the pastelito
to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings,
until all the ingredients are used; refrigerate them uncovered for 1 hour (or up
to 4 hours).
FRY THE PASTELITOS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a
metal cooling rack; set it aside. In a Dutch oven, heat 3 inches (7.5 cm) of oil
to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according to the manufacturer’s
directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the pastelitos into the oil. Fry
them until they are golden, about 2 minutes, turning them halfway through to
cook both sides. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning too
quickly, lower the temperature and let the oil cool slightly before frying any
more. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on the
prepared rack to drain; let them cool for 1 minute. While they are still warm,
roll them in the sugar, coating all sides. Let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes and
roll them a second time in the sugar. Serve the pastelitos warm or at room
temperature.
holds together), cover the dough with plastic or a damp towel, and let it
very thinly.
These are best eaten immediately after they’re fried. You can freeze them
uncooked in a single layer; once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and
keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Fry them without thawing (to
prevent splatters) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. Once fried, roll them
in the sugar.
These empanadas are the ultimate comfort food! Melted goodness seeps out
of these scrumptious pockets filled with a classic combo. Like kids almost
everywhere, Latin American children are familiar with this kind of treat,
whether it is fashioned out of puff pastry or, as it is in this case, from Flaky
Dough (this page). This wintertime after-school snack that my daughters
would come home to almost every day provided them with quick warm
sustenance. Then, as I do now, I’d fashion several batches and flash-freeze
them, unbaked. They go easily from freezer to oven to plate in no time!
C’mon, bake a batch for your kids or get in touch with your inner child—
you’ll be so happy you did. Just remember that you need to make the dough
at least thirty minutes before making these empanadas.
¼ pound (115 g) finely chopped cooked ham

½ cup (60 g) shredded cheddar, mozzarella, Muenster, or other melting
cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard (your favorite flavor)
MAKES 16 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, mix together the ham, cheese,
mayonnaise, and mustard. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24
hours).
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic, for at least 30
minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator (if the dough is too cold to roll
out, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. On a
well-floured surface and with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to
about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (like for piecrust). Keep lightly dusting flour on
your surface and rolling pin as you roll so that the pastry doesn’t tear or stick
(see Notes). Using a round 3½-inch (9-cm) cutter, make 32 rounds, rolling
and cutting the scraps as needed. Keep them covered as you work. Place a
generous 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half of the pastry rounds.
Working with one round at a time, brush the edges with the egg wash and
place another dough round over the filling. Use your fingers to seal the
empanadas (they will look like ravioli), being careful to press the air out of
the dough as your fingers move to the edges. Seal the edges very well with
your fingers and then press them together with the tines of a fork; use the
tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each empanada. Transfer the
empanadas to the baking sheets and chill them uncovered for 20 minutes (or
up to 8 hours).

(205°C). Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake the
empanadas until they are golden, 12 to 15 minutes (rotate the pans in the
oven halfway through baking, back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that
all of the empanadas bake evenly). Let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes and serve
them warm.
until solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe bags or bins and keep them
frozen for up to 4 months. To reheat, brush the tops of the frozen
empanadas with the egg wash. Bake them directly from the freezer. Add 3
to 5 minutes to the baking time, or bake until the empanadas are lightly
golden.
These spicy and richly flavored antojitos (appetizers) are filled with a classic
Mexican filling of potatoes and chorizo sausage. Their crusts are crispy and I
love how the meaty chorizo melds with the creamy potatoes, creating a great
textural juxtaposition. Mexican chorizo is raw pork sausage seasoned with
dried chiles and garlic; don’t confuse it with the dried sausages from Spain.
It’s widely available in grocery stores. You should serve the empanadas with
refreshing salsas for another contrast of textures. Although I prefer to fry
these, you may also cook them on a griddle.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying (optional)

¾ pound (340 g) Mexican chorizo, casings removed
1 roasted poblano pepper (see this page), peeled and chopped
1 teaspoons fine sea salt, or to taste
5 ounces (140 g) crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, to taste
1 recipe Raw Tomatillo Salsa (this page) or store-bought salsa
MAKES 14 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large, nonstick
skillet set over medium-high heat; add the chorizo and cook it until it has
rendered its fat, all the while breaking it down with a wooden spoon, 3 to 4
minutes. Add the onions and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the potatoes, poblano pepper, salt, and black pepper; cover, lower the
heat to medium, and continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender, 6 to
8 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool completely; cover
and chill it for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic, for 10 minutes at
room temperature.
dough into 14 equal portions (about 2 ounces/55 g each). Roll each portion
sides so that it opens like a book. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the
press the dough. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the disc,
leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over the filling, forming a
half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal. Transfer the
empanada to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and
filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go.
TO FRY THE EMPANADAS: Fit a large baking sheet with a metal cooling
rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1½ inches (2.5 to
4 cm) of oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according to the
manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the empanadas
into the oil. Fry them until golden, 4 to 6 minutes, turning them over halfway
through. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they’re browning too quickly,
lower the temperature and let the oil cool slightly before frying any more.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried empanadas to the prepared rack to
drain.
TO GRILL THE EMPANADAS: Heat a griddle to 375°F (190°C) and

cook the empanadas until they develop golden flecks on each side, 4 to 5
minutes per side, turning them over every minute so they don’t burn. If the
griddle is too hot, the exterior of the empanadas will burn before they cook
through. If this happens, reduce the heat of your griddle, wait a few minutes,
and proceed. Transfer the finished empanadas to the prepared pan, wrapping
them in a damp kitchen towel for 5 to 8 minutes in order to allow them to
steam and become tender.
TO SERVE THE EMPANADAS: While they are warm, sprinkle the

empanadas with the queso fresco or feta and serve them with the salsa.
NOTE: To freeze the cooked empanadas (whether fried or grilled), place

them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper;
freeze them until solid and then transfer them to freezer bags. They keep
frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat them, place them in a 350°F (175°C)
oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until their centers are hot.
EVEN THOUGH THE MOST FAMOUS
EMPANADAS IN LATIN AMERICA ARE
FILLED WITH BEEF, THERE ARE
MANY EMPANADAS IN WHICH
CHICKEN PLAYS THE STARRING
ROLE. CHICKEN HAS A NEUTRAL
FLAVOR THAT IS EASILY DRESSED
WITH SPICES AND CONDIMENTS, AND
THEREFORE IT IS PREFERRED FOR
FILLINGS THAT FEATURE VELVETY
AND SPICY SAUCES.
In this chapter, you’ll find ravioli-shaped empanadas from Peru that are filled
with creamy mushroom sauce, and you’ll find half-moon–shaped empanadas
dressed with spicy yellow pepper and pecan sauce. You’ll also discover the
many ways in which shredded chicken is transformed into a sweet and savory
delicacy, such as in the Nicaraguan sugar-coated empanadas called pastelitos.
If you ever find yourself with any leftover chicken, turn to these recipes for
nifty and scrumptious ways to use it. Learn how to expertly poach a chicken
(see this page) so you can make these empanadas often. And if you’re
looking for new ways to transform everyday rotisserie chicken into
comforting and delightful tidbits, this chapter will serve you well.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM EMPANADAS (THIS PAGE)
These large and plump ravioli-shaped empanadas are have a flaky, crispy
crust that surrounds creamy chicken stew. In Lima, empanadas like these are
sold in cafés, where they’re showcased in giant trays behind glass display
windows. These are fancy empanadas, fit to serve with a glass of chilled
wine. The recipe for the filling—reminiscent of the stuffing found in pot pies
—is easily doubled; you can make twice the number of empanadas and freeze
one batch, or simply ladle the sumptuous filling over steamed rice. My Flaky
Dough (this page) is perfect for these, but if you want to cut corners, use
purchased empanada discs (see Sources, this page) and look for the
hojaldrada kind.

1½ cups (115 g) finely chopped white button mushrooms
¼ cup (30 g) finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped leek
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 ml) chicken broth
¼ cup (60 ml) white wine
2 cups (280 g) shredded Poached Chicken (this page)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 recipe Flaky Dough (this page) or 32 store-bought empanada discs
(hojaldrada style)
MAKE THE FILLING: Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with high sides,
set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, leek, and garlic,
stirring constantly; cook until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the
flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth and wine,
stirring well; lower the heat to medium and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or
until a thick sauce has formed. Stir in the chicken, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
and heat them through for 1 minute. Remove the filling from the heat; let it
cool, cover, and chill it completely before using, at least 2 hours or overnight.
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic for at least 30
minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator (if the dough is too cold to roll
out, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a well-floured

surface and with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to about ⅛ inch
(3 mm) thick (like for piecrust). Keep lightly dusting flour on your surface
and rolling pin as you roll so that the pastry doesn’t tear or stick (see Notes).
Using a 3¼-inch (8.5-cm) round cutter, make 36 rounds or use 3½-inch (9-
cm) cutters to make 32 rounds, rolling and cutting the scraps as needed. Keep
them covered as you work.
Place a generous 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half of the pastry

rounds. Working with one round at a time, brush the edges with the egg wash
and place another dough round over the filling. Use your fingers to seal the
edges (the empanadas will look like ravioli), being careful to press the air out
of the dough as your fingers move to the edges. After sealing very well with
your fingers, press the edges together well with the tines of a fork; use the
tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each empanada. Transfer the
empanadas to the baking sheets and chill them uncovered for 20 minutes (or
up to 8 hours).

(205°C). Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake the
empanadas until they are golden, 12 to 15 minutes (rotating the pans back to
front, top to bottom, halfway through). Let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes before
serving them warm.
until solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe bags or boxes and freeze them
for up to 4 months. To reheat, brush the tops of the frozen empanadas
with the egg wash. Bake them directly from the freezer in a 350°F
(175°C) oven, adding 3 to 5 more minutes to the baking time, or bake
until they’re golden.
Going to “La Terminal”—the main marketplace in Guatemala City—was
always an adventure when I was growing up. I went a few times with my
grandmother’s cook, Felipa. One of our favorite things to do after she
finished shopping for ingredients was to stop by the stand where the dobladas
were being fried to order. By that time, we had usually worked up an
appetite, and I was always eager to eat something crunchy and piping hot.
Doblada means “folded,” and these masa empanadas were usually filled with
simple ingredients—a bit of cheese, a touch of herbs, and sometimes meat.
There are many ways of shaping empanadas, but when you see a masa pie
shaped like a half-moon anywhere in Central America, it is called a doblada.
The fun began when we made our way to the condiment table—a rustic,
wooden plank set over stools—brimming full of salsas and other toppings.
Here is my rendition of those dobladas, which haunt my memory with
images of times past (sadly, the market burnt down to ashes in 2014).

1 cup (185 g) seeded and minced plum tomatoes
⅓ cup (50 g) peeled and minced carrots
1 large serrano pepper, minced (seeded and deveined, if less heat is
desired)
Tomato Sauce (this page)
Shredded iceberg lettuce for serving
Thinly sliced radishes for serving
Hot sauce for serving (your favorite brand)
MAKES 12 DOBLADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken,
tomatoes, carrots, serrano pepper, salt, and black pepper until combined.
Chill the filling, covered, for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
room temperature.
the disc, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over the filling,
forming a half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal.
Transfer the dobladas to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of
the dough and filling, keeping the dobladas covered as you go.
FRY THE DOBLADAS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a metal
cooling rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1½
dobladas into the oil. Fry them until golden, 4 to 6 minutes, turning them
any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried dobladas to the prepared
rack to drain. Let them rest for 1 to 2 minutes and then serve with the salsa,
lettuce, radishes, and hot sauce, or keep them warm for up to 1 hour in a
250°F (120°C) oven before serving.
NOTE: To freeze the fried dobladas, place them in a single layer on a

baking sheet lined with parchment paper; freeze them until solid and then
transfer them to freezer-safe bags or bins. They keep frozen for up to 3
months. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or
until the filling is hot.
Puffy dough sparkles with sugar and hugs sweet and savory chicken.
Pastelitos means “small cakes.” My sister-in-law’s mom, Esther de Sugrañes,
is Nicaraguan; this is a loose adaptation of the empanadas she often
purchases near her home. Fry them only when you’re ready to serve them and
roll them in sugar while they’re still warm so that it sticks to their crusts.
Worcestershire sauce is a key ingredient in Nicaraguan cuisine, yet it’s so
hard to pronounce (even for native English speakers!) that Latin Americans
simply call it salsa inglesa or “English sauce.” Roll out the dough thinly or
these pastelitos will be doughy in the center. If you want an alternative to
frying, you can bake these (see this page); you won’t be able to roll them in
sugar, but they’ll still be delectable.

½ cup (60 g) finely chopped white onion
½ cup (130 g) finely chopped roasted red bell pepper (see this page)
½ cup (55 g) finely chopped green olives
¼ cup (35g) small capers, drained and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard
2 cups (280 g) finely chopped Poached Chicken (this page)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 cup (200 g) sugar
MAKES 12 PASTELITOS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over
medium-high heat. Add the onion and roasted pepper and sauté until the
onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, capers, tomato paste,
Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and ½ cup (120 ml) water and stir them
together well. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce is
thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken, salt, and black pepper;
remove the filling from the heat and let it cool completely. Cover and chill it
for at least 3 hours or overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE PASTELITOS: After the filling chills, make the dough
towel, for 1 hour at room temperature.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Dust a clean
surface with flour. Roll out the dough to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (like for
piecrust). Use a 3¾-inch (9.5-cm) round cutter to cut 24 rounds, re-rolling the
scraps as needed, until all the rounds are cut (see Notes). Keep them covered
as you work. Working with one disc at a time, brush the edges with the egg
wash. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the disc. Top with a
second disc; press down the edges to form a ½-inch (12-mm) rim. Use your
index finger and thumb to roll and pinch sections of the dough along the rim
at ½-inch (12-mm) intervals to form a decorative (rustic) edge. It will be
helpful to press out the air from the middle of the pastelitos as you shape
them, so that they don’t puff up excessively as they fry. Transfer the pastelito
to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, until
all the ingredients are used; refrigerate them uncovered for 1 hour (or up to 4
hours) before cooking.
FRY THE PASTELITOS AND SERVE: Fit a large baking sheet with a
metal cooling rack; set it aside. In a Dutch oven, heat 3 inches (7.5 cm) of
vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according to the
manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the pastelitos
into the oil. Fry them until they are golden, about 2 minutes, turning them
halfway through to cook both sides. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and
slightly before frying any more. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the
oil and place them on the prepared rack to drain; let them cool for 1 minute.
While they are still warm, roll them in the sugar, coating all sides. Let them
cool for 1 to 2 minutes and roll them a second time in the sugar. Serve the
pastelitos warm or at room temperature.
holds together), cover it with plastic or with a damp towel, and let it rest
for 10 minutes before re-rolling. If the dough still shrinks as you roll it,
step back, let it rest on the counter, covered, for 10 minutes, and then roll
it out again. To get all of the rounds, you’ll have to roll the dough very
thinly.
These are best eaten immediately after frying. You can freeze the
uncooked pastelitos in a single layer; once solid, transfer them to bags
and freeze them for up to 1 month. They can go directly from freezer to
fryer without thawing. Fry them for about 3 minutes, or until crispy and
golden. Roll them in the sugar and serve.
Ají de gallina is a spicy Peruvian stew made with chicken drowned in a
velvety sauce of pecans and yellow peppers known as ajíes amarillos. The
stew is traditionally served over a mound of steamed rice. However,
empanadas stuffed with ají de gallina have become very trendy in Peru as of
late and you’ll now find them served in both fancy and casual restaurants all
over the city of Lima. You can buy whole ajíes amarillos in jars, but they’re
easier to use when transformed into paste (see Sources, this page). The sauce
is thickened with saltine crackers. Make the stew several hours ahead of time
so that it has time to chill and thicken.
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, halved
14 saltine crackers, coarsely crumbled between your fingers
1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
¾ cup (180 ml) evaporated milk
¼ cup (30 g) pecan halves
1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste, or to taste
3½ cups (490 g) shredded Poached Chicken (this page)
5 hard-boiled eggs (see this page), peeled and sliced into sixths
1 (6-ounce/170-g) can pitted black olives, drained
MAKES 28 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin
to soften and turn slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the
heat and set the vegetables aside to cool. Place the cooled mixture in a
blender. Add the crackers, broth, evaporated milk, pecans, and ají paste.
Blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the skillet and set it over medium-
high heat, stirring until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove it from
the heat. Stir the chicken, salt, and black pepper into the sauce and let cool
for 20 minutes. Transfer the stew to a large bowl; cover and chill it for at
minutes at room temperature.
dough into 28 equal pieces (about 2 ounces/55 g each). Roll each piece into a
ball, folding the bottom of the dough onto itself so that the ends are at the
bottom and the tops are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a
lightly floured baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel; let them rest
for 10 minutes. On a well-floured surface, press each ball slightly into a flat
disc. Line a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on
three sides so that it opens like a book. Place a disc in the middle of the
tortilla press and flatten it into a 6-inch (15-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm)
thick (or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper
in between to avoid sticking.
Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in the center of each disc; add a
piece of egg and one or two olives (to taste). Fold the bottom of the dough to
meet the top of the disc, encasing the filling and forming a half-moon, and
press the edges together well. Make ½-inch (12-mm) edges by pressing the
rims between your fingers using the repulgue method (see this page). Place
the empanadas on the prepared pans. They can sit uncovered at room
temperature for 20 minutes before baking or can be refrigerated for up to 1
hour before baking.

(205°C). Brush the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake them for 35 to 40
minutes, or until they’re golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through
bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to a cooling rack; let them cool for 10
minutes before serving.

them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid.
Transfer them to zip-top bags or freezer boxes and freeze them for up to 4
months. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through,
about 15 minutes.
The corn empanadas found in the area of Sucre, Venezuela, are recognizable
for their golden color and sweet undertone. The stewed fillings, called guisos,
are seasoned with a blend of aromatics known as sofrito. Sucre’s sofrito
features tomato paste and a pepper known as ají dulce. These peppers
visually resemble habanero peppers but lack their angry heat. If you can’t
find them, my friend author Maricel Presilla suggests using the smaller sweet
peppers of the Caribbean known as cachuchas (see the image on this page) or
a seeded and deveined serrano chile.
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil, plus more for frying

2 teaspoons annatto seeds (achiote)
1 cup (120 g) minced white onions
½ cup (50 g) minced leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 ají dulce or serrano pepper, seeded, deveined, and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (leaves and tender stems)
¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
MAKES 15 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) of the oil and the annatto seeds
in a small pot over medium heat until they begin to bubble slightly, about 2
minutes. Remove the pot from the heat; let the seeds steep for 15 minutes.
Strain the oil into a bowl; discard the seeds.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the annatto oil over medium-high

heat. Add the onions, leeks, ají or serrano pepper, garlic, and parsley; cook
until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir
well for 30 seconds; stir in 1 cup (240 ml) water and cook until the mixture
thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool; add the
chicken and stir to combine. Season the filling with the salt and black pepper;
cover and chill it for at least 2 hours or overnight.
as directed on this page; add the sugared water and the remaining 2
tablespoons annatto oil, kneading it until the dough is uniformly colored.
Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
dough into 15 equal pieces (about 2½ ounces/70 g each). Line a tortilla press
flatten it into a 5-inch (12-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (see Notes).
If you don’t have a tortilla press, flatten each ball using a flat-bottomed,
heavy skillet. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the
disc, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the dough over the filling,
Transfer the empanada to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the
dough and filling, keeping the empanadas covered as you go. These
empanadas can be shaped and filled up to 1 hour before frying as long as you
keep them covered and chilled until you’re ready to fry.
1½ inches (2.5 to 4 cm) of oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according
to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches of 4 or 5 empanadas at a
time, carefully slide them into the oil. Fry them until golden, 3 to 4 minutes,
empanadas to the prepared rack to drain. Serve them immediately, or keep
them warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
NOTES: Some cooks prefer to roll the dough into thicker discs, which
yield a meatier texture. I like mine rolled somewhat thin because they
produce crispier empanadas; to do so, my tortilla press method (see this
page) is particularly essential, but you can experiment with different
methods and thicknesses to find your favorite.
Once fried, these empanadas can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze

them in a single layer on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. When
solid, transfer them to containers. Reheat them at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to
15 minutes, or until their centers are hot.
Roasted vegetables give these low-fat and mouthwatering empanadas a
rustic, nutty flavor. In Guatemala, this stew is known as jocón, and it’s
usually served over rice (in fact, you can serve the filling like this). Leftovers
are usually reserved for empanadas that are cooked on a griddle rather than
fried. The natural pectin in the tomatillos thickens the sauce into a gelatinous
substance that makes these a cinch to stuff. As the dobladas cook, the sauce
melts and becomes unctuous. Fry them if you prefer (see Chicken Masa Pies
with Lettuce and Radishes on this page for instructions). You can serve them
alone or you can top them with my Raw Tomatillo Salsa (this page) and
queso seco. Although they’re not traditionally garnished with anything else,
you can gild the lily and sprinkle these with shredded lettuce or cabbage,
sliced onions, or radishes and make a whole meal out of them.
8 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and dried

3 green onions, roots trimmed
½ green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 jalapeño pepper
1½ cups (60 g) packed fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
1 recipe Raw Tomatillo Salsa (this page; optional)
1 cup (120 g) grated queso seco (optional)
MAKES 12 DOBLADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Set a dry skillet—preferably cast iron—over high
heat. Add the tomatillos, onions, and bell pepper; roast while turning them
until they’re charred all over. Place them in the jar of a blender as they are
finished. Add the unpeeled garlic and the jalapeño pepper to the skillet; roast
them until charred. Peel the roasted garlic; discard the skin. Stem, seed, and
devein the jalapeño. Add them to the blender. Add the cilantro and puree
everything until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary, to help the motor
run.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the blended
vegetables and stir well. You should hear a sizzling sound when the sauce
comes into contact with the oil—watch out for sputters. Lower the heat to
medium; season the sauce with the salt and black pepper and simmer it for 2
minutes. Add the chicken; stir well and simmer until the stew has thickened,
8 to 10 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat; let it cool completely.
Transfer it to a bowl; cover and chill it for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
room temperature.
the disc, leaving a small rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over the filling,
Transfer the dobladas to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of
the dough and filling, keeping the dobladas covered as you go. After filling,
cover and chill the shaped dobladas for up to 1 hour before cooking.
GRILL THE DOBLADAS AND SERVE: Heat a griddle to 375°F (190°C)

and cook the dobladas until they develop golden flecks on each side, 4 to 5
minutes per side, turning them over every minute so they don’t burn. If the
griddle is too hot, the exterior of the dobladas will burn before they cook
through. If this happens, reduce the heat of your griddle, wait a few minutes,
and proceed. Transfer the finished dobladas to the baking sheet, wrapping
them in a damp kitchen towel for 5 to 8 minutes in order to allow them to
steam and become tender. Serve them with the Raw Tomatillo Salsa and
queso seco, if desired.
NOTE: These don’t freeze well, but you can refrigerate the cooked
dobladas for up to 1 day. Reheat them at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12
minutes, or until their centers are hot.
Cut into one of these football-shaped chicken pies, and enjoy a sweet crust
and savory filling: Bright yellow crusts with brown edges hide a moist stew
inside. The stew is held together with gelatin, which makes it easier to stuff
in the dough when it’s cold. The discs will shrink a bit as they sit; flatten
them out with your hands (or use a rolling pin) before filling the salteñas.
The dough itself is elastic and will stretch generously over the filling to
encase it. Chill the salteñas for at least 20 minutes (but better if longer) after
you fill them, before baking. These must be very cold or the filling will seep
out as it bakes. Serve them with your favorite hot sauce.
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

2½ cups (600 ml) cold chicken broth
1 cup (100 g) finely chopped green bell peppers
1 tablespoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1 tablespoon annatto paste (achiote) or Bijol (see Notes on this page)
2 cups (280 g) packed shredded Poached Chicken (this page)
1 cup (120 g) green peas
½ cup (20 g) finely chopped fresh parsley (tender stems and leaves)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 recipe Salteña Dough (this page)
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large, heat-resistant glass bowl, combine the
gelatin and broth; stir to mix it together and let it sit for 2 minutes. Heat the
gelatin mixture in the microwave on high for 1½ minutes, until the gelatin is
dissolved (or over medium-low heat in a double boiler for 3 to 4 minutes); set
aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell
peppers; cook until they are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paprika and
annatto or Bijol; cook for 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, stirring until the
spices are dissolved. Add the potatoes, chicken, peas, parsley, sugar, salt,
cumin, oregano, and black pepper; bring the liquid to a boil and cook,
uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the stew to
a medium bowl and set it over a large bowl of iced water to cool it quickly.
Cool the stew completely; cover it with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 6
hours or overnight (the mixture will jell).
ASSEMBLE THE SALTEÑAS: After the filling chills, make the dough as
towel, for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. Dust two baking sheets with
flour; set them aside. Divide the dough into 26 to 28 equal portions (about 3
(the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on the prepared baking sheets and
cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 20 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside. Working one at
a time on a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball slightly into a disc. Line a
so that it opens like a book. Place the disc in the middle of the tortilla press
and press the dough into a 6-inch (15-cm) disc, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (or
roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper in
between to avoid sticking. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of the jelled filling in
the middle of the disc; bring the edges of the pastry together, letting the
dough stretch over the filling. Enclose the filling (press the filling down with
your forefinger to compact it). Form a half-moon and, holding it by the top
edges, stand the salteña on its bottom, flattening it so it can stand without
toppling. Pinch the edges tightly, and press to form a small rim, about ½ inch
(12 mm) wide. Then pinch and fold sections of the rim decoratively to seal it
well (as you would a dumpling, by gathering the dough starting at one end
and pressing it together at ½-inch/12-mm intervals, until it’s all sealed).
Stand the salteñas on the prepared pans and chill them for at least 20 minutes
(or up to 2 hours). Do not crowd the salteñas together in the baking sheet, or
their sides will stick and the juices will ooze out.
BAKE THE SALTEÑAS AND SERVE: Preheat the oven to 425°F

(220°C). Brush the salteñas with the egg wash. Bake them for 35 to 40
minutes, or until they are golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through
baking, back to front and top to bottom, to ensure that all of the salteñas bake
evenly). Transfer the salteñas to a cooling rack. Let them cool for 5 to 10
minutes before serving.
NOTE: Freeze the salteñas in a single layer after baking. When solid,
transfer to containers and freeze for up to 4 months; reheat them in a
350°F (175°C) oven until hot, 15 to 20 minutes.
WHEN SPANISH CONQUERORS
BEGAN SETTLING IN THE NEW
WORLD IN THE EARLY SIXTEENTH
CENTURY, THEY BROUGHT MANY
CULINARY TRADITIONS WITH THEM.
AMONG THOSE CUSTOMS WAS A
STRONG RELIGIOUS BELIEF THAT
ENFORCED EATING FISH AND
SEAFOOD DURING THE LENTEN
SEASON. AMONG THE FIRST
EMPANADAS THAT WERE ABSORBED
BY THE LATIN CULTURE WERE
THOSE MADE WITH FISH IN THE
STYLE OF GALICIA, SPAIN.
All the way from Mexico to Argentina, and regardless of what the religious
beliefs of Latin Americans are today, it is still customary to find an
abundance of fish and seafood empanadas made during the weeks preceding
Easter. The recipes I selected for this chapter feature ingredients that are
pretty standard throughout Latin America. I always keep canned tuna in my
pantry and frozen shrimp (or langoustines) in my freezer that can easily be
used to make these hand-held pies. Some ingredients, like dried cod, cannot
be found in every supermarket; however, you’ll find it easily in both Latin
and Asian stores, particularly during the spring and at Christmastime, when it
is most customary to eat it. Buy it in bulk, as it lasts a very long time, and use
it to make the empanadas I feature here, filled with potatoes and a deliciously
briny tomato sauce. In this chapter, you’ll also find delicately flavored
seafood empanadas such as the Argentinean langoustine pies. They’re so
elegant that you’ll want to serve them with sparkling wine. And you’ll find
rustic tuna empanadas from a small town in Mexico that are best served
alongside a cold beer, with plenty of lime wedges. Select a different kind of
empanada to eat every Friday night during Lent each year. Or enjoy them just
for the sake of eating great seafood pies!
These empanadas are plump with shrimp—juicy and messy to eat. In Brazil,
they’re called pastéis de camarão. The shrimp are coated with a sauce called
molho or “wet sauce,” rich in tomato goodness. In Bahia, they’re served
wrapped in paper to catch the juices. I make several batches ahead of time
and freeze them, uncooked, so that I can fry them whenever the craving hits
me. Paired with a green salad and a glass of wine, they make a delicious and
easy supper in no time. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making
your own dough, use packaged annatto-flavored empanada discs for frying
(as pictured), or large egg roll wrappers. Shape them into half-moons or rolls
(respectively), instead of making rectangles. If you’re lucky enough to find
crawfish or langoustines, use them in place of shrimp.

⅔ cup (120 g) peeled, seeded, and chopped plum tomatoes
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
12 ounces (340 g) peeled and cooked shrimp or langoustines, cut into ½-
inch (12-mm) pieces
1 recipe Pastéis Dough (this page) (or 12 store-bought annatto-flavored
empanada discs)
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are golden, about 2
minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste; sauté for 1 minute. Add ¼ cup
(60 ml) water and stir well to form a thick paste. Add the cilantro and salt;
remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the shrimp or langoustines
and stir well. Transfer the filling to a large bowl; cover and chill it for at least
30 minutes or up to overnight.
ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS: While the filling chills, make the dough as
room temperature.
dough in half. Roll out the first half to 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick (like for pasta).
Using a pastry cutter or very sharp knife, cut it into 5-by-6-inch (12-by-15-
cm) rectangles. Re-roll the scraps together, wrap them in the plastic, and
allow them to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, repeat with the other half
of the dough, cutting and re-rolling the scraps (while allowing the dough to
rest in between) until you have 12 rectangles. You may have to do this a third
time, until all are cut. The bottom side of the rectangles will be sticky; the top
should be dry.
by pressing them together with your fingers. Crimp them tightly with the
(about 2 cm) of vegetable oil to 360°F (180°C) or use a deep-fryer according
to the manufacturer’s directions. Working in batches, carefully slide the
pastéis into the oil. Fry them until they’re puffy and golden, 1½ to 2 minutes,
slightly before frying any more. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place
them on the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes and
serve.
immediately after they’re fried. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer;
once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to 3
months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters) for 3 to 3½
minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.
Thick béchamel sauce creates a velvety texture that bakes beautifully when
wrapped in pastry, resulting in a creamy filling that is subtle and elegant. This
may be a very inexpensive recipe to re-create, but these empanadas taste
luxurious and appeal to most palates. If you like tuna melts, you’ll like these.
My children loved to find them hidden in their lunchboxes when they were
little. I love the versatility of frozen, store-bought empanada discs and keep a
stack of them in my freezer at all times so that I can make these. The fact that
the filling is dense makes it easy to stuff into the prepared discs. Look for the
words para hornear or hojaldradas on the package, so you can bake with
them. If you prefer to fry them, use regular empanada discs or egg roll
wrappers. If you prefer to make your own dough, use the Masa Dough (this
page) and fry the empanadas, or use the Bread Dough (this page) for baked
empanadas. You may substitute jarred roasted peppers, but make sure to pat
them dry thoroughly or they’ll make the filling watery. Pressing the tuna
against a fine sieve is also helpful. In Argentina, some cooks add chopped
olives and pieces of hard-boiled eggs.
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter

1 cup (120 g) minced yellow onions
⅔ cup (85 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 (12-ounce/340-g) can solid white albacore tuna, well drained
2 roasted red bell peppers (see this page), peeled and finely chopped
½ cup (60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons sliced green onions (white and light green parts only)
30 store-bought empanada discs (hojaldrada style)
MAKES 30 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat,
melt the butter; add the yellow onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until
they are soft. Add the flour and whisk well; cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, being
careful not to let it take any color (it should be shiny and pull away from the
sides of the pot). Remove the pot from the heat and add the milk, whisking
well until it’s the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. Return the pot to the
heat and continue cooking for 2 minutes, constantly stirring and being careful
not to burn the sauce. Remove the sauce from the heat; stir in the salt,
nutmeg, and white pepper. Transfer the béchamel to a bowl and let it cool for
10 minutes. Add the tuna, roasted peppers, cheese, and green onions, stirring
to combine them. Transfer the filling to a large bowl; cover and chill it for at
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: Thaw the empanada discs according to

the package directions.
Line two or three large baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside.
Roll the empanada discs with a rolling pin to make them slightly thinner (as
per package instructions). Place 2 generous tablespoons of the filling in the
bottom half of each disc, leaving a ¼-inch (6-mm) rim. Fold the dough over
the filling to form a half-moon. With a fork, press the edges together,
crimping them tightly; use the tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each
empanada. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheets. Chill them
uncovered for 20 minutes or up to 8 hours.

(205°C). Bake the empanadas until they are lightly golden on top, 25 to 30
minutes (rotating the pans back to front, top to bottom, halfway through). Let
them rest for 5 minutes before serving them warm.
NOTE: Freeze the baked and cooled empanadas in a single layer on a

baking sheet; once solid, transfer them to freezer-safe bags and store them
for up to 4 months. Reheat the empanadas in a 350°F (175°C) oven
directly from the freezer until the centers are hot, 12 to 15 minutes.
Here is another scrumptious empanada filled with tuna. This one has crispy
and savory dough hiding a mixture of spicy fish. I got the idea for this recipe
from a sweet housekeeper at a hotel where I once stayed during one of my
book tours. Her name was Maria José, and she told me of these empanadas
popular in the city of Monclova, in the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico.
Her mother used to make them and sell them at the market. They are mostly
made at home (as opposed to restaurants). Tuna canned in oil is traditional,
but I prefer the water-packed fish that is not so greasy. This filling is
succulent and studded with chiles, which impart a nice level of heat.
1 (12-ounce/340-g) can tuna packed in water, drained very well

⅓ cup (60 g) seeded and minced plum tomatoes
¼ cup (30 g) minced red onion
¼ cup (20 g) thinly sliced jalapeño peppers (seeded and deveined for less
heat)
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
3 cups (255 g) finely shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce
1½ cups (360 ml) Mexican crema or crème fraîche
Lime wedges for serving
Tomato Sauce (this page) for serving
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, tomatoes,
onion, jalapeños, cilantro, and salt; stir well. Cover and chill the filling for 20
minutes or overnight.
as directed on this page and let it rest, covered with plastic, for 10 minutes at
room temperature.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside. Divide the masa into
12 equal portions (about 2½ ounces/70 g each). Roll each portion into a ball
and keep them covered with a damp kitchen towel as you work. Line a tortilla
press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides so that it
opens like a book. Place a ball of masa in the middle of the tortilla press and
flatten it into a 5½-inch (14-cm) disc about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If you don’t
have a tortilla press, use a flat-bottomed, heavy skillet to press the dough.
Place ¼ cup (60 ml) of the filling in the middle of the disc, leaving a small
rim. Use the bag to fold the masa over the filling, forming a half-moon. Press
the edges together with your fingers to seal. Transfer the empanada to the
prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling, keeping
the empanadas covered as you go.
empanadas into the oil. Fry them until golden, 4 to 6 minutes, turning them
any more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried empanadas to the prepared
rack to drain. Serve them immediately with the shredded cabbage or lettuce,
crema or crème fraîche, lime wedges, and sauce.
NOTE: Freeze the fried empanadas in a single layer on a baking sheet
lined with parchment paper; when solid, transfer them to freezer-safe bags
or bins. They keep frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat them in a 350°F
(175°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the filling is hot.
These empanadas are filled with flaky fish bathed in luxurious tomato sauce.
Cod made in the style of Viscaya (the Basque region of Spain) is known as
bacalao a la vizcaína. Dried salted cod is widely available during the Lenten
season in any store that caters to Latinos, and in many Asian markets. Once
soaked in several changes of water, the fish loses its saltiness and regains its
springy texture. My grandmother Mita taught me to soak cod briefly in milk
in order to sweeten its flesh even further, but that’s optional. Begin soaking
the cod at least two days before you intend to make the empanadas; it must be
refrigerated during the entire soaking period.
½ pound (225 g) dried boneless salted cod or pollock (see Sources, this
page)
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk (optional)
1 (14½-ounce/480-g) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 roasted red bell peppers (see this page), peeled and finely chopped
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1½ cups (210 g) peeled and finely chopped Yukon gold potatoes
½ cup (55 g) sliced Manzanilla olives
¼ cup (35 g) small capers, drained and rinsed
1 recipe Bread Dough (this page) or 26 store-bought empanada discs
(hojaldrada style)
MAKES 26 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Place the cod in a large glass dish and cover it with
cold water; cover the dish and refrigerate it. Change the water at least four
times in 24 hours. Drain the cod; discard the water and pat the cod dry. (Note:
If using milk, soak the cod in the milk in the refrigerator for 2 more hours
after the water soak. Drain; discard the milk and pat the cod dry before
proceeding.)
With a sharp knife, mince the cod finely; set it aside. In a large nonreactive
Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook
until they are softened, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is
fragrant, about 20 seconds; stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, roasted peppers, and thyme; stir until combined. Stir in the
cod and bring to a simmer; lower the heat, cover, and cook the filling
undisturbed for 20 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, olives, and capers. Increase
the heat to medium and bring back to a simmer; cover, lower the heat, and
simmer the filling until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover
and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the
liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes (be careful not to burn the filling).
Season with the salt and black pepper (use more or less salt depending on
how salty the cod is). Remove the filling from the heat. Transfer it to a
medium bowl and set it over a large bowl of iced water to cool it quickly.
Cover and chill the filling for at least 4 hours or overnight.
minutes at room temperature.
Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into
26 equal pieces (about 2 ounces/55 g each). Roll each piece into a ball,
folding the bottom of the dough onto itself so that the ends are at the bottom
and the tops are smooth (the way you’d shape rolls). Place them on a lightly
floured baking sheet and cover them with a clean towel; let them rest for 10
minutes. Working one at a time, press each ball slightly into a flat disc. Line
a tortilla press with a zip-top freezer bag that has been cut open on three sides
so that it opens like a book. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the tortilla
press and flatten it into a 5-inch (12-cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
(or roll it out with a rolling pin). Stack the discs with parchment paper in
Working with one disc at a time, place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the
bottom half of the disc. Fold the bottom of the dough to meet the top of the
disc, encasing the filling and forming a half-moon, and press the edges
together well. Make ½-inch (12-mm) edges by pressing the rims between
your fingers using the repulgue method (see this page). Place the empanadas
on the prepared baking sheets. The empanadas can sit uncovered at room
temperature for 20 minutes before baking or can be refrigerated for up to 1
hour before baking.

(220°C). Bake the empanadas for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re golden
(rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking, back to front and top to
bottom, to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the
empanadas to a cooling rack; let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
NOTE: Freeze the baked and cooled empanadas in a single layer on a

baking sheet; once solid, transfer them to freezer-safe bags and store them
for up to 4 months. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until the centers
are hot, 12 to 15 minutes.
SWEET EMPANADAS ABOUND IN
LATIN AMERICA. I’VE PUT
TOGETHER A COLLECTION OF
THOSE RECIPES THAT I BELIEVE ARE
MUST-HAVES FOR THE SERIOUS
EMPANADA BAKER. IF YOU CAN PUT
IT IN A PIE, YOU CAN STUFF IT INTO
AN EMPANADA, SO THE NUMBER OF
POSSIBLE SWEET HAND-HELD PIES IS
TRULY LIMITED ONLY BY THE
IMAGINATION.
However, every Latin American connoisseur has savored at least one version
of fruit and dulce de leche empanadas, such as those found here. Fruit jams
and jellies are frequent empanada fillings, and my formula will work with
your favorite flavors. There are many fruits that are not available outside of
their native countries, such as the chiverre (a fruit similar in texture to
spaghetti squash that is candied in Costa Rica), or the jocotes (tree-tomatoes
from Central America) that are frequently made into jams used to fill
empanadas. Nor will you be able to find the ayote (a gourd with a texture
similar to squash but with a yamlike taste) that’s caramelized and used to
stuff empanadas. Therefore, I’ve narrowed these recipes to those with
ingredients that you will be able to find nearby or online (see Sources, this
page). Make these empanadas as big or as small as you want them to be.
Then all you’ll need is a good cup of Latin American coffee, yerba mate, or
hot chocolate and some time to indulge leisurely in the pleasure of savoring
each sweet bite of a hand-held pie.
CARAMEL-APPLE PIES (THIS PAGE)
The combination of apples and caramel is a classic. These miniature pies
blend a sweet and tart filling with a flaky crust. Dulce de leche is the gooey
cow’s milk caramel of South America. Purchase the thickest dulce de leche
you can find, canned or in jars. If you can’t find it at all, substitute it with
Mexican cajeta, which is a goat’s milk caramel, or with any rich caramel
sauce. Adding egg yolks to the dulce de leche creates a custardlike texture
that stays in place inside the empanadas while they bake. Eat them on their
own or with a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream.
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely diced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup (180 ml) thick dulce de leche
2 egg yolks
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
MAKES 22 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, stir the apples together with the
lemon juice in order to prevent them from turning brown. Melt the butter in a
medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Drain the apples to remove
any excess juice and add them to the pan. Cook, while stirring, for 3 to 4
minutes, or until they begin to soften but still retain their texture. Remove the
apples promptly from the heat and spread them out on a large plate; let them
cool completely and chill them for 30 minutes or overnight.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dulce de leche and egg yolks until
combined; cover and chill until you’re ready to use it.
minutes or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.

Using a 4-inch (10-cm) round cutter, make 22 rounds, rolling and cutting the
scraps as needed.
Working with one disc at a time, place 2 teaspoons of the apple filling on the
bottom half of the round and top it with 2 teaspoons of the dulce de leche
mixture. Brush the edges of the round with the egg wash and fold it in half
over the filling to form a half-moon. Seal the edges of the empanada very
well with your fingers and crimp them shut tight with the tines of a fork. It’s
important to seal these empanadas very well, or you’ll have leakage. Use the
tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each empanada (flour the fork, if it’s
sticking). Transfer the empanada to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the
remaining dough and filling, until all the ingredients are used (discard any
leftover dulce de leche mixture at the end). Chill the empanadas uncovered
for 20 minutes (or up to 8 hours).

bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to cooling racks. When they’re slightly
cool, sift confectioners’ sugar over the tops. Serve them warm or at room
temperature.
excess flour off the scraps with a clean pastry brush, and gather up the
Place them in one layer on the prepared baking sheets and freeze until
solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe containers and keep them frozen for
up to 4 months. To reheat, brush the tops of the frozen empanadas with
the egg wash. Bake them directly from the freezer, adding 2 to 3 more
minutes to the baking time. After they’re cooked, dust them with sugar.
From Mexico all the way down to Costa Rica, you will find many empanadas
filled with sweet, gooey pineapple. I confess to having had my share of them,
from the Mexican empanadas filled with fresh pineapple, cinnamon, and
raisins, to those found in Costa Rica, made with pineapple jam. Since I’m a
huge fan of candied pineapple (known as piña cristalizada or dulce de piña),
I created this rendition. The pineapple must be finely minced, but not to the
point where it becomes pulp (you should be able to see small pieces of fruit).
This will help it withstand the long cooking time without entirely losing its
texture. You will know the candy is ready when you can dip a spoon into it,
let it cool for a few seconds, and the mixture jells on the spoon. When
refrigerated, the candy will solidify. I suggest you let it sit at room
temperature for about an hour before using it so that it’s easier to handle.
Serve these empanadas (and any leftover pineapple) as part of a cheese
course. Any extra candy can be softened to the consistency of jam by simply
reheating it over low heat and adding water as needed. Use the sauce to top
vanilla ice cream or stir it into a bowl of steamy oatmeal.
1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and minced

2 cups (400 g) sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
MAKES 32 EMPANADAS
MAKE THE FILLING: Place the pineapple and 1 cup (240 ml) water in a
medium, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the
heat to medium-low as soon as it reaches a boil; simmer, uncovered, until the
pineapple has softened, about 20 minutes. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and
lemon juice; stir to combine them. Continue cooking for 50 to 60 minutes, or
until the mixture is thickened. Cool the candy slightly and transfer it to a
glass container; let it cool completely before using. You can store the candy,
covered with plastic wrap or a lid, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
minutes or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.

Using a 3½-inch (9-cm) round cutter, make 32 rounds, rolling and cutting the
scraps as needed.
Place 1½ teaspoons of the candied pineapple on the bottom half of each

pastry round. Brush the edges of the rounds with the egg wash and fold them
in half over the filling to form half-moons. Seal the edges of the empanadas
very well with your fingers and crimp them shut tight with the tines of a fork.
It’s important to seal these empanadas very well, or you’ll have leakage. Use
the tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each empanada (flour the fork, if
it’s sticking). Transfer the empanadas to the baking sheets and chill them
uncovered for 20 minutes (or up to 8 hours).

bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to cooling racks. Serve them warm or
at room temperature.
until solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe containers and keep them frozen
for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush the tops of the frozen empanadas
with the egg wash. Bake them directly from the freezer, adding 1 to 2
more minutes to the baking time.
These crispy pillows, stuffed with bananas and bejeweled with sugar, make a
scrumptious dessert any day of the week. They’re sweet, but not too sweet.
My neighbor Janine told me that her mother made these for her when she was
a little girl. Like any fried dough, pastéis are good to eat all by themselves,
but I love to serve them with a scoop of vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream.
Bananas that are past their prime mash easily and work great in this recipe.
The dough takes some time to master, but if you use egg roll wrappers
instead, these are easy to whip together on the spur of the moment. However;
the blistery texture of the pastéis dough makes them particularly crispy and
flaky; thus, I find it’s worth spending the time making the dough yourself.
Plus, frozen, uncooked pastéis can be fried to order whenever you’re craving
them. For this reason, I make several batches of dough at a time. With a little
planning, one afternoon in the kitchen can bring you innumerable moments
of sweet bliss.

4 large bananas, mashed
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS: Make the dough as directed on this page and
let it rest, covered with plastic, for 20 minutes at room temperature.
cm) rectangles. Re-roll the scraps together, wrap them in plastic, and allow
between), until you have 12 rectangles.
You may have to do this a third time, until all are cut. The bottom side of the
rectangles will be sticky; the top should be dry.
Place the bananas on a large plate; set it aside. On a medium plate, combine
the sugar and cinnamon; set it aside.
With a shorter side toward you, and the sticky side facing up, place 2
tablespoons of the bananas on the bottom half of each rectangle, leaving ½
inch (12 mm) all around. Fold the top over the filling and seal all of the sides
well by pressing them together with your fingers. Crimp them shut with the
the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 minute before rolling them on
all sides in the sugar mixture. Cool for 5 minutes before serving them.
immediately after they’re fried. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer;
once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to 3
months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters) for 3 to 3½
minutes, or until they are golden and crispy; roll them in the cinnamon-
sugar and serve.
A little bit tangy and a little bit sweet, these empanadas are crispy, crunchy,
and flaky all at the same time. Inside awaits one of the most classic flavor
combinations in Latin American cuisines (a favorite from Cuba to Brazil)—
guava and cream cheese. Guava paste is nectarous, chewy, and of a
consistency similar to gummy candies. You’ll find it sold in the Latin section
of most supermarkets, packed in tins or in long boxes, or online (see Sources,
this page). Simply scoop out the amount you need into individual portions;
save the rest and serve it with a cheese assortment. Pastéis such as these are
favorites of my Brazilian friends and you’ll understand why the moment you
bite into one. Let them cool slightly before eating.

12 tablespoons (170 g) guava paste
12 tablespoons (170 g) cream cheese
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
MAKES 12 PASTÉIS
ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS: Make the dough as directed on this page and
let it rest, covered with plastic, for 20 minutes at room temperature.
cm) rectangles. Re-roll the scraps together, wrap them in plastic, and allow
between), until you have 12 rectangles. You may have to do this a third time,
until all are cut. The bottom side of the rectangles will be sticky; the top
should be dry.
With a shorter side toward you, and the sticky side facing up, place 1
tablespoon of the guava paste and 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese on the
bottom half of each rectangle, trying to spread them out a bit so they’ll
overlap, and leaving ½ inch (12 mm) all around. Fold the top over the filling
and seal all of the sides well by pressing them together with your fingers.
Crimp them shut with the tines of a fork. Transfer them to the prepared
baking sheet.
cooling rack; set it aside. On a medium plate, combine the sugar and
cinnamon; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat ½ to 1 inch
the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 minute before rolling them on
all sides in the sugar mixture. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: Pastéis are best eaten immediately after they’re fried. Freeze
them uncooked in a single layer; once solid, transfer them to freezer bags
and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Fry them without thawing (to
prevent splatters) for 3 to 3½ minutes, or until they are golden and crispy;
roll them in the cinnamon-sugar and serve.
These small pastries offer a creamy and sweet filling that pleases the palate.
When my girls were little, I’d keep the freezer stocked with small empanadas
such as these that we could quickly bake and enjoy as an after-school snack.
They’re elegant enough for company and go well with a cup of coffee. Yet
they’re also great for when you find yourself alone in your kitchen with time
to savor a cup of tea or hot cocoa. Use your favorite fruit jam or select
tropical flavors such as guava, mango, or pineapple. Peanut butter is not a
traditional Latin American spread, but feel free to substitute it for the cream
cheese in this recipe, if you prefer.

10 tablespoons (140 g) cream cheese
⅓ cup (75 ml) fruit jam (any flavor)
MAKES 30 EMPANADAS
ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS: Make the dough as directed on this page
and let it rest, covered with plastic, for at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours
in the refrigerator.

Using a 3½-inch (9-cm) round cutter, make 30 discs, rolling and cutting the
scraps as needed.
Place 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese and ½ teaspoon of the jam on the
bottom half of each pastry round. Brush the edges of the rounds with the egg
wash and fold them in half over the filling to form half-moons. Seal the edges
of the empanadas very well with your fingers and crimp them shut tight with
the tines of a fork. It’s important to seal these empanadas very tightly, or
you’ll have leakage. Use the tines of the fork to poke vents on top of each
empanada (flour the fork, if it’s sticking). Transfer the empanadas to the
prepared baking sheets. Chill them uncovered for 20 minutes (or up to 8
hours).

bake evenly). Transfer the empanadas to cooling racks. Serve them warm or
at room temperature.
Place them in one layer on the prepared baking sheets and freeze until
solid. Transfer them to freezer-safe containers and keep them frozen for
up to 4 months. To reheat, brush them with the egg wash and bake them
directly from the freezer. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until their centers are
hot.
SALSA MEANS “SAUCE” IN SPANISH.
SOME SAUCES ARE RAW, AND
OTHERS ARE COOKED. MOST
EMPANADAS ARE MEANT TO BE
ENJOYED WITHOUT ANY TOPPING,
BUT LATIN AMERICANS USE SAUCES
TO EMBELLISH CERTAIN KINDS OF
EMPANADAS.
In Argentina and Peru, for instance, many eateries offer ramekins filled to the
brim with liquid accoutrements that customers can spoon over the empanadas
as they bite off pieces. And in Mexico and Central America, empanadas will
often be dipped into richly colored salsas. You’ll find the selection of sauces
in this chapter to be luscious and colorful. These will help you elevate
empanadas to another level. They will enhance flavors and complement the
different crusts that surround them. The beef empanadas from Argentina and
Uruguay will pair beautifully with the chimichurri, while the masa-based
empanadas will be best when drizzled with either the red sauce or green
tomatillo sauce featured in this chapter. Chileans prefer their empanadas
embellished with raw and chunky pepper-based salsas, while Peruvians tend
to select zestier garnishes, so I offer them both here. Some of the sauces in
this chapter are spicy, while others are nutty and tangy. Throughout the book,
I offer you suggestions as to which sauces to pair with the empanadas, but
you should feel free to experiment with them and use them as you wish. Any
leftover sauces will be great draped over other foods too, such as grilled beef
and seafood, and spooned over eggs.
MANGO AND AVOCADO SALSA (THIS PAGE), KNIFE-CUT PARSLEY
SAUCE (THIS PAGE), DRIED CHILE, BELL PEPPER, AND TOMATO
SAUCE (THIS PAGE), RAW TOMATILLO SALSA (THIS PAGE), RED
PEPPER SALSA (THIS PAGE), YELLOW PEPPER AIOLI (THIS PAGE)
There are many recipes for this famous Argentinean herb mélange called
chimichurri. This one is said to be al cuchillo because the ingredients are
quickly chopped with a knife and stirred together into a sauce. This is my
condiment of choice for any of the empanadas made with beef or for any of
those made with the Bread Dough (this page). The fact that all of the
ingredients are finely minced gives this sauce a toothsome texture.
1 cup (40 g) finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (leaves and tender
stems)
⅓ cup (40 g) finely chopped white onion
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML)

In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, red
pepper flakes, and black pepper. Whisk in the oil until combined. Cover and
let the chimichurri sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
NOTE: This sauce can keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Pebre, the ubiquitous spicy salsa of Chile, gets its red color from chile paste
and not from tomatoes. Most food historians agree that pebre most probably
dates back to the Middle Ages, when a mixture of onions, garlic, and vinegar
similar to this was used to season dishes in Spain. It’s also believed that the
Spaniards introduced it to Chile during the Latin American colonial period
(early sixteenth century to the start of the eighteenth century). In the New
World, peppers, which were native to the Americas, were added to the
formula. There are many recipes for pebre. Some cooks add cilantro or
parsley, while others add a touch of tomatoes. I’m partial to the clean flavors
found in this recipe. It’s a cinch to prepare and it is a scrumptious condiment
for any of the beef empanadas in this book, particularly the Chilean Famous
Beef, Raisin, and Olive Hand Pies (this page). Bite the tip off an empanada
and then spoon a small amount of this sauce into the filling. It’s spicy, so a
little will go a long way. Italian red pepper paste is sold in tubes in many
grocery stores and gourmet centers.
1 cup (120 g) finely minced white onions

½ cup (50 g) finely minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons Italian hot red pepper paste
¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, or to taste
In a medium bowl, stir together the onions, bell pepper, and garlic. In a small
bowl, combine the red pepper paste and vinegar, stirring to dissolve the paste.
Whisk in the oil until it has emulsified. Stir in the oregano and season with
the salt and black pepper. Combine the contents of the two bowls. Cover and
let the pebre sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
CREAMY PEANUT SAUCE WITH TOPPINGS (THIS PAGE),
AVOCADO SALSA (THIS PAGE)
This creamy and velvety peanut sauce looks a lot like hummus. It’s
traditionally topped with crunchy, colorful vegetables and it’s a classic
accompaniment for the Spicy Potato and Peanut Empanadas (this page). This
is one of the many recipes that showcases the African culinary influences that
define the food of the Cauca region of Colombia. Try it also with the cassava
empanadas in this book, such as the Fried Cassava and Cheese Turnovers
(this page). Leftovers are great spooned over steamed green beans, asparagus,
and potatoes (it makes a great dressing for potato salad).
2 cups (300 g) roasted unsalted peanuts

1¼ cups (300 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
1 serrano pepper (seeded and deveined for less heat), finely minced
1 hard-boiled egg (see this page), peeled and quartered
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, or to taste
½ cup (50 g) finely sliced green onions (white and light green parts only)
½ cup (90 g) peeled, seeded, and finely chopped plum tomatoes
¼ cup (10 g) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
MAKES 2 CUPS (480 ML)

In a blender, combine the peanuts and broth; blend until a paste forms. Add
the serrano pepper and the egg; blend again, until the sauce is thick and
creamy. Transfer it to a medium bowl and stir in the salt and lemon juice, to
taste. Cover and chill the sauce for at least 2 hours before serving. When
ready to serve, sprinkle it with the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
This is Venezuela’s rendition of avocado salsa, and it’s one of the most
popular sauces to serve with the cornmeal-crusted empanadas in this book. It
may look like guacamole, but the vinegar imparts a very different flavor
profile. Caribbean sweet peppers (known as ajíes dulces) resemble habanero
peppers, but without any of the fiery heat; substitute deveined and seeded
serrano peppers, or with more bell pepper, if necessary. Try this sauce with
the Cumin Shredded Beef Empanadas (this page), or the Black Bean and
Cheese “Domino” Pies (this page).
2 ripe Hass avocados

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons seeded and minced plum tomato
1 ají dulce, seeded and minced, or serrano pepper (seeded and deveined
for less heat)
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS (360 ML)

Slice the avocados in half; remove the pits and discard them. With a spoon,
scoop out the flesh of the avocados and place it in a medium bowl. Mash the
avocado with the tines of a fork (it should still retain some chunks). Add the
vinegar, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, tomato, parsley, ají or serrano
pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and serve it immediately.
NOTE: This sauce can keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2

hours. Serve cold or at room temperature
This is another rendition of the Venezuelan sauce that often serves as an
accoutrement to the corn-encrusted empanadas. This colorful version has a
sweeter profile than one made strictly with avocado. I find it’s also an
excellent salsa to serve alongside any of the masa-based empanada recipes in
this book. This salsa is particularly delicious when served with the Cumin
Shredded Beef Empanadas (this page) and with the Stewed Chicken and
Annatto Corn Empanadas (this page), and it makes a succulent topping for
any of the cassava empanadas in this book. Leftovers can be served over
grilled salmon or chicken.
2 ripe Hass avocados

1 large, semi-ripe mango, peeled and finely chopped into cubes (see
Notes)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons seeded and minced plum tomato
2 tablespoons minced cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
1 ají dulce, seeded and minced, or serrano pepper (seeded and deveined
for less heat)
MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS (540 ML)
Slice the avocados in half; remove the pits and discard them. With a spoon,
scoop out the flesh of the avocados and place it in a medium bowl. Mash the
avocado with the tines of a fork (it should still retain some chunks). Add the
mango, vinegar, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, tomato, parsley,
cilantro, ají or serrano pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and serve it
immediately.
NOTES: Select mangoes that barely yield to the touch. If the mango is
too ripe, it will be difficult to cut and the pieces will not hold their shape.
Peel mangoes with a serrated potato peeler or a sharp knife. With a sharp
knife, slice off both ends of the mango so that it has flat surfaces on which
to stand. The seed of the mango is a flat oval pit that runs through the
center of the fruit. Stand the mango on one of its ends, and slice down one
side as close to the seed as you possibly can. Do the same thing on the
other side. Lay the seed flat on the cutting board and slice the pulp that
remains on the sides of the seed. Chop the flesh of the mango as the
recipe directs and discard the seed.
This sauce can keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Serve
cold or at room temperature.
This thick and spicy sauce pairs beautifully with the masa-based empanadas
in this book. The sauce is “fried” in oil, using a technique in which sauce is
added to hot oil to seal in the flavor. This creates a luxurious, deep taste that
cannot be otherwise obtained by simply simmering the sauce. Use a deep pot,
a splatter guard, and a long spatula. The sauce should sizzle when it comes
into contact with the oil. As the sauce thickens, it will splatter more
enthusiastically and you will have to reduce the heat. Spoon any leftovers
over fried eggs, or use it as a base for soups or stews.
2 dried guajillo chiles

2 dried ancho chiles
Boiling water
1 (14½-ounce/415-g) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 large roasted red bell peppers (see this page), seeded, cored, and
deveined
½ cup (60 g) roughly chopped white onion
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS (600 ML)
Place the guajillo and ancho chiles in a medium bowl; cover them with
boiling water. Place a heavy plate over them to keep them submerged; soak
them for 15 minutes. Drain them; remove the stems and seeds and devein
them. Place the chiles in a blender. Add the tomatoes, roasted bell peppers,
onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, until it’s
shimmering. All at once, add the sauce (keep a distance from the pot as you
do this because it will splatter), and stir it with a long wooden spatula.
Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, place a splatter guard on the
pot, and cook the salsa for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat again to low; simmer
it, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until thickened, stirring the salsa
occasionally. Serve it hot or at room temperature.
NOTE: This sauce can keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
or frozen for up to 3 months; simply reheat it when ready to use.
This pale yellow sauce is creamy, spicy, garlicky, and sour all at the same
time. This is one of the condiments most commonly served with empanadas
in Peruvian eateries. Ajíes amarillos are bright yellow peppers used in
Peruvian cuisine. You’ll find them packed in jars or cans in most Latin
American stores; you can order them online (see Sources, this page). Their
flavor is spicy and fruity, and when preserved in brine, they’re easy to peel.
This aioli is a magnificent partner to any of the seafood empanadas in this
book and I find that it also pairs well with beef empanadas. In the improbable
case that you find yourself with leftovers, use it as a spread for sandwiches,
as a sauce for fish and seafood, or as a dressing for potato salad.
1 cup (240 ml) mayonnaise

4 whole ajíes amarillos, peeled, seeded, and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (15 g) minced fresh chives (optional)
MAKES 1¼ CUPS (300 ML)

In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, ajíes, garlic, lime juice, salt, cumin,
and black pepper; blend until smooth. Transfer the salsa to a bowl; cover, and
chill it for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish it with the chives, if using.
Serve cold.
This vibrantly green salsa is spicy, sour, and perfectly suited for the masa-
encrusted empanadas in this book, such as the Cheese and Loroco Masa Pies
(this page), the Chorizo and Potato Pies (this page), or the Crispy Cassava
and Beef Empanadas (this page). Tomatillos resemble tiny green tomatoes
but are actually members of the gooseberry family. In Central America,
they’re known as miltomates (a thousand tomatoes) because the plant
produces copious amounts of them at a time. To remove their papery husk,
peel it off and rinse the tomatillos under cold running water to remove the
gluey residue. Big tomatillos tend to be bitter, while smaller tomatillos are
perfectly tangy. I suggest you use medium-sized tomatillos; four to five
whole, medium tomatillos will yield 1 cup (185 g) chopped. Resist the
temptation to seed the serrano peppers in this recipe, unless you’re truly
sensitive to the heat from the chiles.
1 pound (455 g) tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and quartered

2 cups (80 g) packed fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup (60 g) minced white onion
5 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 large or 2 medium serrano peppers (seeded and deveined for less heat),
minced
1 tablespoon honey
In a blender, combine the tomatillos, cilantro, white onion, green onions,
serrano peppers, garlic, honey, salt, and black pepper (and enough water to
get the motor running, about ¼ cup/60 ml). Blend the ingredients on high
speed until smooth. Chill the salsa, covered, for at least 30 minutes before
serving.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
If you have difficulty finding any recipe ingredients or equipment in
your local stores, it’s easy to order products online or through a mail-
order service. Here are a few of my favorites:
CRATE AND BARREL

www.crateandbarrel.com
Order tortilla presses, measuring cups and spoons, and baking and cooking
utensils.
DEAN & DELUCA

www.deandeluca.com
With many locations around the country, it’s a good place to find plenty of
spices, herbs, ground chile powders, dulce de leche, Mexican oregano, and
annatto seeds.
FRIEDA’S
www.friedas.com
Dried chiles (guajillo, ancho, de árbol, pasilla, etc.), plantains, pepitas
(pumpkin seeds), and Mexican canela are on offer.
GOYA FOODS
www.goya.com
Find frozen empanada discs (for both frying and baking), loroco, salted cod
and pollock, masarepa or P.A.N. arepa flour, frozen yuca, tapioca or yuca
flour (called almidón de yuca or yuca harina), ajíes amarillos (whole and
paste), refried black beans, capers, olives, annatto seeds and powders,
chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, guava paste, and jelly.
LA FE
www.lafe.com
With three brick-and-mortar locations (Florida, North Carolina, and New
Jersey), this can be a convenient source for prepared empanada discs,
Mexican crema, and frozen yuca.
LA TIENDA
www.tienda.com
They specialize in products from Spain, but they have a great line called
“New World” products that includes ajíes amarillos (whole and paste) and
smoked paprika. They ship all over the U.S.
LODGE CAST IRON

www.lodgemfg.com
Their cast-iron skillets are excellent and are the ideal tool for charring
vegetables and deep-frying. You can also find griddles.
MELISSA’S PRODUCE
www.melissas.com
Order dried chiles (such as ancho, guajillo, chipotle, de árbol, pasilla, etc.),
Mexican canela, vanilla beans, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), piloncillo (or
panela), and fresh yuca root.
MEX GROCER
www.mexgrocer.com
Order tortilla presses, Bijol, annatto, dried chiles (whole and ground), masa
harina, Mexican cheese, and crema.
PENZEY’S SPICES
www.penzeys.com
This handy mail-order shop has loads of spices: annatto seeds, cayenne
pepper, Mexican canela (they call theirs “Ceylon soft-stick cinnamon”),
Mexican oregano, chipotle, ancho, guajillo peppers (whole and ground),
coriander, and cumin. They also carry vanilla and almond extracts.
SUR LA TABLE
www.surlatable.com
Look for tortilla presses and all sorts of cooking and baking utensils.
WILLIAMS-SONOMA
www.williams-sonoma.com
Get tortilla presses, food scales, measuring cups and spoons, rolling pins,
cookware, cooking thermometers, etc.
INDEX OF SEARCHABLE
TERMS
A
achiote (annatto)
chicken empanadas with
ají de maní
ajíes amarillos (yellow peppers)
sauce
ajíes cachuchas (peppers)
apple and caramel empanadas
Avocado Salsa
with mango
B
baking sheets
Banana Pastries Coated with Sugar and
Cinnamon
beans, refried
beef
empanadas with. see beef empanadas
flank steak, cooking
Beef and Dried Chile Masa Pies
beef empanadas
cassava and
dried chiles and
egg, green onion and
ground, herbs and
plantain and
potato and
raisin, olive and
shredded, cumin and
stir-fried, onions, peppers and
beef tallow, rendering
Black Bean and Cheese “Domino” Pies
blender
Bread Dough
butter, unsalted
C
Candied Pineapple Pies
Caramel-Apple Pies
cassava (yuca)
about
beef empanadas with
empanadas, with cheese
with cornmeal
cast-iron skillet
cativias
Cheese and Loroco Masa Pies
cheese empanadas
black beans and
cassava and, fried
onion and
Cheesy Spinach Empanadas
chicken, poached
chicken empanadas
with annatto
green tomatillos and
mushrooms and
potatoes, green peas and
red peppers, olives and
Chicken Masa Pies with Lettuce and Radishes
Chicken Pies with Pecan and Yellow Pepper Sauce
chile(s)
beef empanadas with
salsa, with bell pepper, tomato sauce
types of
chimichurri al cuchillo
Chorizo and Potato Pies with Tomatillo Salsa
cilantro
cinnamon, banana pastries with
Classic Ham and Cheese Pockets
Cod and Potato Turnovers with Stewed Tomatoes and Olives
Cooked Flank Steak
cookie cutters, round
cooking equipment
cooling racks
Corn and Spanish Smoked Paprika Turnovers
corn flour. see also masa harina; masarepa
Cornmeal Dough
cream cheese
about
fruit jam and, pastries
guava and, pastries
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Empanadas
Creamy Peanut Sauce with Toppings
Creamy Tuna and Roasted Red Pepper Pies
Crispy Cassava and Beef Empanadas
crust
doughs for. see dough(s)
store-bought frozen
Cumin Shredded Beef Empanadas
D
deep-fat frying
deep-fat thermometer
dobladas
de jocón
de loroco
de pollo
“Domino” Pies (Black Bean and Cheese)
dough(s)
bread
cassava or yuca
cornmeal
cornmeal and cassava
flaky
gluten-free. see gluten-free doughs
masa
master
mixing/matching
pastéis
plantain
repulgue method for
rolling out
salteña
Dried Chile, Bell Pepper, and Tomato Sauce
Dutch oven
E
eggs
beef, green onion empanadas with
egg wash
hard-boiled
empanadas
de ají de gallina
de atún
de atún y morrones
de carne mechada
de carne y salsa de chiles
de cerdo
de cuaresma
de dulce de piña
de espinaca y queso
de guiso de pollo
de lomo saltado
de maduros y picadillo
de manzana y dulce de leche
de papa y chorizo
de pollo y hongos
de pino
de pipián
de viento
de yuca y queso
with beef. see beef empanadas
with chicken. see chicken empanadas
continuing evolution of
dominó
doughs for. see dough(s)
early history of
equipment for making
homemade versus storebought
ingredients for
Latin America and
modern-day
with pork. see pork empanadas
portability of
sauces for. see salsa
tucumanas
with tuna
variety of fillings/flavors
empanaditas
de choclo
de jamón y queso
de mermelada y queso crema
de queso y nueces
equipment, cooking
F
Famous Beef, Raisin, and Olive Hand Pies
fillings, for empanadas. see also specific recipes
flank steak
making/using
poached chicken
Flaky Dough
Flaky Ground Beef and Herb Pillows
Flaky Hearts of Palm Pillows
flank steak, cooked
flour
all-purpose unbleached
corn. see also masa harina; masarepa
food processor
freezer bags, zip-top plastic
Fried Cassava and Cheese Turnovers
G
garlic
gluten-free
dough substitutions
recipes
Cornmeal Dough
Masa Dough
Plantain Dough
Golden and Juicy Beef and Potato Pies
Golden Chicken, Potato, and Green Pea Pies
green peas, chicken empanadas with
Green Tomatillo Chicken Stew Empanadas
griddle
grilled empanadas
guasacaca
guasacaca de mango
Guava and Cream Cheese Pastries
H
half-sheet pans
ham and cheese empanadas
Hand-Cut Beef, Egg, and Green Onion Empanadas
harina pan
about
cassava and, dough
dough
working with
hearts of palm pastéis
honey
I
ingredients, for empanadas
J
jalapeno pepper and tuna empanadas
Jam and Cream Cheese Mini Pies
K
kitchen scale
kitchen scissors
Knife-Cut Parsley Sauce
L
lard, pork, rendering of
lettuce, shredded, chicken empanadas with
Light-As-Air Onion and Cheese Pies
loroco
cheese and, empanadas
flower buds
M
mango
Mango and Avocado Salsa
Maria Jose’s Tuna, Jalapeno, and Tomato Turnovers
Masa Dough
cheese and loroco pies with
masa harina
about
working with
masarepa
about
casava and, dough
dough
working with
Master Dough
measuring cups
measuring spoons
membrillo
Mexican oregano
O
olives
beef, raisin empanadas with
chicken, red pepper empanadas with
cod, potato empanadas with
onions
beef, egg empanadas with
beef, red pepper empanadas with
cheese empanadas with
oregano, Mexican
P
pans, half-sheet
paprika and corn turnovers
parchment paper
parsley sauce
pastéis
de banana
de camarão
de carne moida
de palmito
de guava e queijo
dough
pastelitos
de cerdo
de pollo
pastry cutter
peanut(s)
potato empanadas with
sauce with toppings
pebre
pecans, chicken empanadas with
peppers
chile. see chile(s)
red. see red pepper(s)
roasted
types of
pineapple, candied, empanadas
plantain
beef empanadas with
dough
plastic freezer bags
Poached Chicken
pork empanadas
chorizo, potato and
ham, cheese and
raisins and
sweet and savory
pork lard, rendering
potato(es)
beef empanadas with
chorizo and, empanadas
cod and, empanadas
peanut and, empanadas
R
radishes, chicken empanadas with
raisin, beef, and olive empanadas
Ravioli-Shaped Pies with Stir-Fried Beef, Onions, and Peppers
Raw Tomatillo Salsa
red pepper(s)
beef, onion empanadas with
chicken, olive empanadas with
roasted
salsa, with dried chiles, tomato sauce
tuna empanadas with
Red Pepper Salsa
refried beans, canned
repulgue method, for sealing
recipes using
rolling pin
Roquefort and Walnut Mini Pies
ruler
S
salsa
avocado
chile, red pepper and tomato
cremosa de ají amarillo
cruda de miltomates
mango and avocado
parsley
peanut
raw tomatillo
red pepper
roja
yellow pepper
salt, fine sea
salteñas
de carne
de pollo
dough
scale, kitchen
scissors, kitchen
Shrimp and Tomato Stew Flaky Pillows
skillet, cast-iron
Spanish paprika and corn turnovers
Spicy Potato and Peanut Empanadas
spinach empanadas, cheesy
spoons, measuring
steak, cooked flank
Stewed Chicken and Annatto Corn Empanadas
stock, chicken
Sugar-Coated Pork and Raisin Turnovers
Sweet and Savory Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Pies
Sweet and Savory Pork Pies
Sweet Plantain and Beef Turnovers
Sweet Plantain Dough
T
tallow, beef
thermometer, deep-fat
tomatillo(s)
raw, salsa
tomato(es)
stew, shrimp empanadas with
stewed, cod, potato empanadas with
tuna empanadas with
tortilla press
about
method
recipes using
tuna empanadas
jalapeno peppers, tomatoes with
roasted red peppers with
V
vegan
dough substitutions
recipes
vegetarian recipes
W
walnut and Roquefort cheese mini pies
Y
Yellow Pepper Aioli
yuca. see cassava (yuca)
Z
zip-top plastic freezer bags
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To everyone at Abrams and Stewart, Tabori & Chang: My sincere thanks go
to Holly Dolce, for believing in this project from the start. Infinite gratitude
goes to my fabulous editor, Laura Dozier, for her enthusiasm for the book
and for making this a most beautiful and seamless process for me. Thank you,
Sally Knapp and Denise LaCongo, for your great help with the production of
this book. I’m thankful also to Ann Martin Rolke for her careful copyediting
and to Kate Lesko and her entire marketing team for all they have done to
support my work.
Pictures speak a thousand words, and I have the dream team to thank here:
Thank you, Tina Rupp, for capturing the spirit of this book through your
gorgeous photographs; to Penelope Bouklas, for selecting the most beautiful
props to showcase my empanadas; and to Toni Brogan, for your careful food
styling as you re-created each authentic empanada beautifully. My thanks go
to designer Danielle Young and creative director John Gall, who designed a
book that celebrates Latin American culture in such a colorful manner and
who sought inspiration outside the box, in order to keep it fun.
My gratitude goes to my agent extraordinaire, my friend Lisa Ekus, for

finding a home for this project and for suggesting I write this book. My
thanks to Leslie Jonath, without whom the idea for this book would not have
been possible.
I’m so very grateful to my recipe testers, led by my friend and professional

recipe tester Liz Tarpy, who kept me in check with her impeccable attention
to detail. Also, thanks to my friends Kim Callaway, Linda Christiana, Sally
Ekus, Karin Fitzpatrick, and Athina Sgambati for re-testing all of the recipes
with unending enthusiasm.
Thanks to Mark Kelly, who set me up with a collection of Lodge cast-iron

skillets so that I could test my recipes. My deep gratitude goes to my friend
and colleague Maricel Presilla, who inspires me to write about the authentic
cuisines of our beloved Latin America; and to my friend Norman Van Aken,
for believing in my work and for leading the pack, starting the love affair for
Latin flavors in the U.S. that has made it possible for me to write about
authentic Latin food in this country today.
To my beloved husband, Luis, and our daughters, Alessandra and Niccolle:

Thank you for always encouraging me to write and for perpetuating our love
for long sobremesas (“after-dinner talks”) at our family table.
My humble gratitude to God, for blessings received.

Published in 2015 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS
Text copyright © 2015 Sandra A. Gutierrez

Photographs copyright © 2015 Tina Rupp
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission
from the publisher.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014942973
ISBN: 978-1-61769-143-0
Editor: Laura Dozier

Designer: Danielle Young
Production Manager: Denise LaCongo
Stewart, Tabori & Chang books are available at special discounts when
purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or
educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For
details, contact [email protected] or the address below.
115 West 18th Street

New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com

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CONTENTS

VEGETABLE, NUT & CHEESE EMPANADAS

BEEF & PORK EMPANADAS

FISH & SEAFOOD EMPANADAS

Being tantalizingly delicious and portable is precisely why empanadas were

What happened next was numerically astonishing, as each Latin American

Empanadas in modern-day Latin America are enjoyed in restaurants, sold by

SOMETHING FOR EVERY PALATE

NOT ALL EMPANADAS ARE CREATED EQUAL

HOMEMADE AND STOREBOUGHT

I have clear recollections of shopping at my neighborhood’s bakery in

YES, REAL MEN EAT EMPANADAS

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES

As long as street food, portable meals, and homemade comfort cooking

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Making empanadas is a culinary tradition worth keeping and building upon,

ZIP-TOP PLASTIC FREEZER BAGS

SHARP KITCHEN SCISSORS

BAKING SHEETS OR HALF-SHEET PANS

ASSORTED ROUND COOKIE CUTTERS

STURDY ROLLING PIN

MASA HARINA AND MASAREPA

Harina pan or masarepa is a type of cornmeal in which the corn is dried

FINE SEA SALT

CANNED REFRIED BEANS

STORE-BOUGHT FROZEN EMPANADA DISCS

MAKING AND USING EMPANADA FILLINGS

Many of the empanadas in this book may be served at room temperature. It

1 to 2 pounds (455 to 910 g) flank steak (according to the recipe)

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (960 ML)

NOTE: If refrigerated, the steak will last, covered, for up to 2 days. To

1 (4½- to 5-pound/2- to 2.3-kg) chicken with giblets and neck (preferably)

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (960 ML) COOKED WHITE

NOTES: Empanada recipes usually call for a smaller amount of chicken.

If refrigerated, the chicken will last, covered, for up to 2 days. Degrease

MY NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD

ROLLING OUT DOUGH FOR EMPANADAS

Chilling butter-based dough will make it easier to roll out.

SALTEÑA DOUGH (THIS PAGE)

3 cups (340 g) masa harina, plus more as needed

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (440 g) precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa

3 cups (420 g) precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa or harina pan) (see

NOTE: Masarepa is a product that has been made with precooked

1½ pounds (680 g) frozen, peeled cassava (yuca)

3 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

MAKES 36 TO 40 3-INCH (7.5-CM); 24 TO 26 3½-

8½ cups (1.1 kg) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup (240 ml) melted lard (or vegetable shortening)

2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

MAKES ABOUT 22 (4-INCH/10-CM); 32 (3½-INCH/9-

NOTE: The dough will keep in your refrigerator for up to 2 days—any

4 large yellow plantains (about 2½ pounds/1.2 kg)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Bijol is a seasoning made with powdered annatto, which dissolves quickly

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

BAKE THE EMPANADAS AND SERVE: Preheat the oven to 450°F

NOTE: To freeze these empanadas, cool them to room temperature; set