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Salteña De Carne

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savory pies•bolivian•contains meat, contains gluten
6 hours•12 salteñas•

Ingredients

  • 2 cups onion – finely chopped (~2.5 medium onions)
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced
  • 2 tablespoons lard – for filling
  • 2 tablespoons ají colorado powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano – crumbled
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground
  • 2 teaspoons salt – for filling
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef – 0.25-inch diced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons sugar – for filling (25g)
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 cups potato – peeled and 0.25-inch diced (~1.5 medium potatos)
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1/2 cup green olives – pitted and chopped (~16.5 small green olives)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
  • 1/2 cup water – cold (for blooming gelatin)
  • 3/4 cup lard – for dough
  • 2 tablespoons annatto seeds
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar – for dough (25g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt – for dough
  • 1 cup water – warm (for dough)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar – for glaze (13g)
  • 2 tablespoons water – for glaze
  • 3 large eggs – hard-boiled, peeled and quartered
  • llajua (Bolivian hot sauce) – for serving
Salteña de carne

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Heat the lard (for filling) in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 5–7 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

  2. 2.

    Add the ají colorado powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper; stir until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.

  3. 3.

    Add the diced beef and cook, stirring, until it just loses its raw color, 2–3 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Pour in the beef stock, then add the salt (for filling), sugar (for filling), and white vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the beef is barely tender and the liquid is flavorful, 10–12 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Stir in the potato and simmer until just tender, 8–10 minutes. Fold in the peas, green olives, and raisins, then remove the pot from the heat.

  6. 6.

    Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water (for blooming gelatin) and let stand 5 minutes to bloom. Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the hot filling until fully dissolved. Spread the mixture in a shallow pan, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely set, 4–12 hours.

  7. 7.

    For the dough, gently heat the lard (for dough) with the annatto seeds in a small saucepan over low heat until the fat turns deep orange, 3–5 minutes. Strain out and discard the seeds. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar (for dough), and salt (for dough). Pour in the warm annatto lard and the warm water (for dough), mix until a rough dough forms, then knead until smooth and elastic, 5–7 minutes. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

  8. 8.

    Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  9. 9.

    Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a 6-inch round. Place a rounded 1/4 cup of chilled filling in the center and top with one piece from the eggs. Fold into a half-moon, press to seal, then crimp firmly into a tight repulgue. Set on the prepared sheets seam up, spacing slightly apart.

  10. 10.

    Dissolve the sugar (for glaze) in the water (for glaze) and brush the tops of the salteñas.

  11. 11.

    Bake until deep golden and blistered, 18–22 minutes, rotating the sheets once halfway. Cool 5 minutes so the juices settle. Serve warm with llajua (for serving).

Salteña de carne is Bolivia’s iconic baked hand pie, celebrated for its glossy crust and a luscious, savory-sweet filling that stays juicy yet contained. Inside the tender, slightly sweet, annatto-tinted dough is a stew of small-diced beef, onions, potatoes, peas, olives, and raisins seasoned with ají, cumin, and oregano. A wedge of hard-boiled egg and a touch of vinegar and sugar give balance—sour, sweet, and spicy—while the seam is crimped into a sturdy repulgue so you can eat it by hand.

Born as a portable meal, the salteña is eaten midmorning across Bolivian cities like La Paz, Cochabamba, and Sucre, often with a few drops of llajua, the local hot sauce. The filling is cooked ahead and set with gelatin so it melts back into broth as it bakes, a technique that defines the style. Over the 20th century, regional shops developed distinct touches, but the essential elements—diced meat, mildly spicy ají colorado, and the glossy sugar-brushed crust—have remained a beloved national standard.