Dairy-Free Empanadas de Pino (Chilean Meat Pies)

Instructions

1. 1In a large bowl, combine the 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening, and 1 tsp of salt. Use your fingertips to rub the vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. 2Gradually add the 3/4 cup of warm water to the flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3. 3While the dough rests, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the about 680 g of ground beef to the hot skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned all over. Carefully drain any excess fat from the skillet.
4. 4Add the 1 large onion, chopped, and the 3 cloves of garlic, minced, to the skillet with the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened and translucent.
5. 5Stir in the 1/2 cup of raisins, 1/4 cup of black olives, 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, and the 1/2 cup of beef broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced slightly. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped.
6. 6Preheat your oven to 190°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rested dough to about 0.3175 cm thickness. Use a round cutter (about 15.24 cm in diameter) to cut out 6 circles of dough.
7. 7Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat filling onto the center of each dough circle. Fold each dough circle in half to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges firmly together. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal them completely.
8. 8Place the formed empanadas on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the large egg egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and firm to the touch.

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