National Dish Of Bolivia: Salteña
Brief History
Historian Antonio Paredes Candia states that during the early
1900s, Juana Manuela Gorriti was the first lady to create the
current version of this product. Gorriti was born in Salta
Argentina and was exiled to Tarija Bolivia during the Juan
Manuel De Rosas dictatorship. The Gorriti family endured
extreme poverty, and they came up with the recipe in the early
1900s in order to make a living. A variation of these pastries was
known at the time throughout most of Europe.
The product, nicknamed "salteña" (the term for a female citizen
of Salta), became very popular. Eventually salteñas left Tarija
and became a Bolivian tradition.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling:
● 2 medium potatoes
● 4 cups chicken stock, or beef stock
● 1 large onion, diced
● 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
● 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
● 1 pound beef chuck or round
● 2 tablespoons aji panca paste (a type of chile pepper that is
commonly grown in Peru)
● 1 teaspoon ground cumin
● 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
● 1 teaspoon dried oregano
● Salt, to taste
● Freshly ground pepper, to taste
● 1/2 cup frozen peas
● 1 (1/4-ounce) package unflavored gelatin
● 1/2 cup water
● 14 to 16 pitted green olives
For the Dough:
● 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
● 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
● 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening, or lard
● 1 tablespoon achiote (a spice made from the red seed of the annatto
tree)
● 1/4 cup granulated sugar
● 3/4 cup water
● 1 teaspoon salt
● 1 large egg
Steps to Make It
Make the Filling
The filling of salteñas is also different from other empanadas. It's much
juicier with lots of stewing liquid accompanying the meat and vegetables.
Gelatin is added to the filling while it is still hot. The mixture is then chilled
until it thickens, which makes it easier to handle when shaping the
salteñas. As the salteñas bake, the gelatin melts and the broth becomes a
liquid again. It's a nice trick that keeps the salteñas from getting soggy.
1. Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. In a saucepan, bring the chicken or beef stock to a boil. Add
the potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes, reserving the cooking broth, and set aside.
3. Cut the beef into small 1/2-inch cubes.
4. In a large, heavy skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the beef
until browned on all sides. Remove beef from the skillet and set
aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the
skillet.
5. Add the aji panca, onions, and bell peppers to the skillet and sauté
until the onions have softened (about 3 to 4 minutes).
6. Add the cumin, paprika, and oregano and sauté for several minutes.
7. Add the beef back to the skillet and cook while stirring for 2 to 3
minutes.
8. Add the reserved broth (from cooking the potatoes) to the skillet.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer beef and vegetables over low heat until the beef is tender
(about 30 to 40 minutes). Add a bit more broth if needed.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked potatoes
and peas and stir until heated through.
11. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup water. Add the water to the beef
mixture and stir well.
12. Remove from heat and transfer to a casserole dish. Refrigerate until
cooled completely.
Prepare the Dough
While the filling is cooling, you can prepare the dough. Do this right away
because it does need to rest for a while.
1. Place the flour in a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable shortening, butter, and
achiote. Heat over medium until hot.
3. Add the hot fat mixture to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.
Use your fingers to distribute the fat evenly through the flour until it
is crumbly.
4. In a small saucepan, stir the sugar and salt into the water and heat
until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. Stir this hot water
mix into the flour mixture, along with the egg.
5. Knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough, adding 1 to 2
tablespoons of water if the dough seems dry. Set the dough aside
for 30 minutes to an hour.
Assemble and Bake the Salteñas
With both elements of the salteñas ready, it's now time to assemble and
bake them.
1. Divide the dough into 2-ounce balls (about the size of a golf ball).
Press each ball into a flat round and let rest for 5 minutes.
2. With a rolling pin, roll each round of dough into a larger oval shape
that is about 5 to 6 inches in diameter and about an 1/8-inch thick.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of the chilled filling in the middle of a dough
round. Add an olive to the filling. Fold the dough in half over the
filling and pinch the edges together to seal dough all the way
around. If you want a shinier crust, brush a mixture of 1 egg yolk and
2 tablespoons milk onto each salteña.
5. Place salteñas on a baking sheet, braid up, and bake for 20 to 25
minutes, or until golden brown
