Empanadas are great! but keep in mind the regional variations:
VARIATIONS
Empanadas al Horno (Chile and Argentina):The filling above is called pino and is typical for empanadas eaten in Chile and Argentina. Usually the filling of each empanada is topped with a sliced hard-boiled egg before it is encased in the pastry and baked. Chileans add a little more onions, Argentinians a little more beef.
Empanadas de Atún (Tuna empanadas): Sauté a minced onion in olive oil. Cool and stir in 3 or 4 drained cans of tuna, 1 cup of frozen peas (opt.), salt and pepper. Fill pastry and bake as directed above. Sometimes the filling is topped with a couple slices of hard-boiled egg. Other recipes call for adding the tuna and a 1/2 cup white wine to the pan with the onions and simmering to cook down the wine a bit.
Empanadas de Espinaca (Spinach empanadas): Sauté some minced onion and garlic in olive oil. Add about 2 pounds of cleaned, chopped spinach and cook till wilted. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg and cool. Toss with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, fill pastry and bake as directed above.
Empanadas Gallegas (Spain): The people of Galicia in northwest Spain fill empanadas with stewlike mixtures of onion and chicken, beef, salt cod, tuna, rabbit or seafood. Empanadas gallegas are often made like a large double-crust pastry and cut into serving portions. Make the dough as described above, but divide into two pieces and roll out into two rectangles, one slightly smaller than the other. Lay the larger rectangle on a greased and floured baking sheet. Spread your desired filling over the pastry leaving a 1-inch border. Lay the smaller dough rectangle over the filling and moisten the edges with water. Bring the edges of the bottom pastry up over edges of the top pastry and press to seal. Poke some holes in the top pastry with a fork and decorate with pieces of leftover dough if you like. Bake as for individual empanadas, allowing a little more time to cook completely through.
Empanadas Mexicanas (Mexico): the pino filling, known as picadillo in Mexico, is common. Other possibilities are chile-seasoned and shredded chicken or beef topped with grated cheese. Moles are a popular filling in Oaxaca. Fruit filled empanadas are favorites everywhere.
Empanadas Venezolanas (Venezuela): made with the same dough used for arepas. Roll the dough out into rounds between plastic wrap, fill, seal and deep fry in hot oil. Popular fillings are meat, cheese, black beans and seafood.
Pastelillos (Puerto Rico): fill with pico (known as picadillo in Puerto Rico), shredded cheese or guava paste (guayaba).
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