Bakery Stall · Baked Beef Pastry

Empanada de Pino

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Raisins are the divisive ingredient: the classic recipe includes them, but many bakeries also sell empanadas 'sin pasas' for customers who refuse them.

Empanada de pino is a hand-sized pastry sealed with a signature crimped edge (repulgue), baked until golden, and filled with pino — a slow-cooked mix of chopped beef, onion, cumin, and paprika — plus a slice of hard-boiled egg, an olive, and raisins. Bakeries and street stalls sell them hot, wrapped in paper for eating on the go.

Why it's made this way: Empanadas de pino are the centrepiece of Chile's Fiestas Patrias in September, and the crimped seal (repulgue) is what keeps the juicy pino filling from leaking out during baking.