The Mendoza-style beef empanada — flaky baked or fried pastry filled with hand-cut beef, onion, hard-boiled egg, green olive and a generous pinch of cumin, served with a glass of Malbec.
Empanadas mendocinas are the celebrated regional empanada of Mendoza, the heart of Argentine Malbec country at the foot of the Andes. They distinguish themselves from the salteñas of the north or the tucumanas of the central provinces by their generous use of cumin, the hand-cut (never ground) beef, the addition of finely chopped hard-boiled egg, a green olive and sometimes a single raisin, and the signature thirteen-pleat repulgue (decorative crimp) along the edge. The dough is enriched with beef fat (grasa de pella) for ideal flakiness, the filling is cooked the day before so the flavors marry and the meat juices are reabsorbed (preventing soggy bottoms), and the empanadas are baked in a clay oven (horno de barro) for a blistered, golden crust. At an asado, empanadas are the first course before the meat — passed hot from the oven to be eaten with the fingers, washed down with red wine. The bite reveals layered flavors: juicy onion-laced beef, the bright pop of olive, the richness of egg yolk, and the unmistakable warmth of cumin. Made at home and frozen raw, they reheat from frozen in the oven and remain one of the most rewarding investments in a Sunday afternoon kitchen project.
Serves 6
In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Pour in the melted beef fat and rub through with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the warm water gradually, mixing until a soft dough forms — you may need 20 ml more or less. Knead 5 minutes on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic and rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
Beef fat (grasa de pella) is essential for the authentic flaky-yet-tender Mendoza pastry. Lard is the next best substitute; butter gives the wrong texture.
Heat the beef fat or olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add onions, scallions and red pepper. Cook gently 12–15 minutes until softened and translucent — this is the unhurried base of the filling.
Raise heat to medium-high. Add the finely diced beef, paprika, cumin, ají molido and salt. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is just cooked through but still juicy. Taste and adjust — the filling should be aromatic, well-seasoned and a little wet (it will firm up as it cools).
Spread the filling on a wide tray to cool quickly. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. This rest is critical: the juices reabsorb into the meat, preventing soggy empanada bottoms, and the flavors meld.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 3 mm thickness. Cut into 12 cm circles using a bowl or empanada cutter. You should get about 24 discs. Stack with parchment between them to prevent sticking.
Place a heaping tablespoon of cold filling in the center of each disc. Top with a pinch of chopped hard-boiled egg and one olive. Brush the edges lightly with water. Fold over into a half-moon and press to seal. Make the repulgue: pinch and twist the edge in tiny folds along the curve — traditionally 13 pleats. This isn't just decorative; it makes a tight seal.
BAKE: Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place empanadas on parchment-lined trays, brush tops with egg wash, and bake 18–22 minutes until deep golden and blistered. FRY: Heat oil to 180°C and fry empanadas in batches 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot or warm, on a wooden board, with a glass of Malbec or Bonarda. Eat with hands. A small bowl of chimichurri or a tomato-pepper salsa criolla can sit alongside, but in Mendoza they are usually eaten plain.
Hand-cut beef is non-negotiable. Ground beef makes the filling pasty; hand-cut 5 mm cubes give the proper mouthfeel.
Always cool the filling overnight before filling. This is the single biggest factor in great empanadas.
Make a big batch and freeze raw on trays, then bag. Bake from frozen at 220°C for 25 minutes — no thawing needed.
The 13-pleat repulgue is traditional and signals 'Mendoza-style' — but any tight crimp will do for home cooks. A fork-pressed edge works.
Salteñas (Salta-style) — sweeter and spicier with potato cubes; juicier filling.
Tucumanas — uses matambre (flank) and a stronger cumin hand.
Empanadas de queso y cebolla — onion and three-cheese filling, the classic vegetarian option.
Spicy version — add a finely chopped fresh chili to the onion base; doubles the ají molido at the end.
Cooked empanadas keep 3 days refrigerated; reheat in a 200°C oven 8 minutes (never microwave — pastry goes soggy). Freeze raw or cooked up to 3 months. Bake raw frozen empanadas directly from freezer.
Empanadas arrived in the Americas with Spanish colonists in the 16th century but evolved distinctly in each Argentine province. The Mendoza style developed in the 19th century as Italian and Spanish immigrants settled the wine country, and the use of beef fat in the dough reflects the cattle-rich Argentine pampa. The 13-pleat repulgue is said to represent the apostles, though it is more likely a regional pastry-craft tradition.
Yes — frozen Goya or La Saltena discs (especially 'tapas para empanadas para horno') are widely available in Latin grocers and Argentine cooks use them often for everyday baking.
Baked is traditional in Mendoza and Salta; fried is more common in Tucumán. Both are excellent. Baked is healthier and easier for a big batch.
Either the filling is too hot when you fill (it shrinks as it cools), or the seal isn't tight. Always cool filling overnight and seal the edges firmly with water.
Yes but the texture is different — butter dough is more like a quiche pastry, beef-fat dough is the proper flaky empanada. Try both and decide.
Per serving (110g / 3.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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