"Chile's baked pastry pocket carries a filling of beef, egg, olive and raisin — the raisin's sweetness against the savoury beef is the defining Chilean flavour."
About Empanadas de Pino
Chile's most celebrated baked good — a hand-sized pastry pocket packed with pino filling: ground beef, onion, hard-boiled egg, black olive and raisin seasoned with cumin and paprika; baked until the crust turns a deep golden; the raisin's sweetness against the savoury beef is the essential Chilean flavour.
Empanadas de Pino — a staple of Chile's cuisine
Chile's most celebrated baked good is a hand-sized pocket of short-crust pastry filled with pino — a mixture of ground beef, onion, hard-boiled egg, black olive and raisin, seasoned with cumin and paprika. The raisin is the element that surprises: its sweetness against the savoury beef is the essential flavour of the filling, and it's what makes Chilean empanadas distinct from Argentine versions.
The empanada is always baked (never fried in the traditional Chilean version) until the crust turns a deep, even gold. The seam is crimped along the curved edge. When done correctly, the inside releases a small amount of juicy steam when cut — the egg and olive should be visible in cross-section. Chileans eat them on national holidays, at every family celebration and on Sundays with red wine.
What to Expect
The empanada comes out of the oven firm and gold, the crust slightly dull from the egg wash. Cut it from the sealed end and steam escapes. The filling is dense and fragrant with cumin. The olive is briny. The raisin appears in the second or third bite and the sweetness is jarring and then immediately right. You understand why it's there.
Why Try It
The empanada de pino is the taste of Chilean patriotism — it appears at every September 18th celebration, at every family Sunday and at the table of every Chilean abroad who is trying to explain the country to someone who hasn't visited.
Insider Tips
Eat them on 18 September (Chilean National Day) when street stalls sell them with chicha wine — the authentic context.
The raisin is intentional and correct. Don't pick it out.
Order them at a fuente de soda (Chilean diner) rather than a tourist restaurant for the most authentic version.
