As a child growing up in Puerto Rico in a jumbled Argentine and Colombian household, I found a link to all those cultures through empanadas. Yet the empanadas from each country were different — the tastes, the fillings, the texture of each crust.
These pastry pockets are often traced to Spain’s Galicia region, but have been localized in each Latin American and Caribbean country, sometimes even by regions. Some are baked. Some are fried. The basic ingredients (usually meat or fish, seasonings, onions, maybe raisins and olives) are similar, but you can easily find variations. They can be eaten with a knife and fork, but they’re most often sold as quick snacks or appetizers so most aficionados just eat them out of hand, say Chicago restaurateurs.
Jeannette Gacharna, the owner of Brasa Roja and El Llano Restaurant, said people in Colombia can buy them at street stands. Augusto Izquierda, manager or Taste of Peru, said they can be found in bakeries or “pastelerias” all over Peru. But in Cuba and Chile, they’re mostly made at home.
Empanadas should be substantial; crisp on the outside, but steamy, warm and moist inside. Here are a few.
Argentina
Overwhelmed with El Nandu’s eight choices, we tried the two most popular. The lightly fried Tucumana ($2.50) from northern Argentina had a flaky crust that crackled perfectly with every bite, but the diced steak was under-seasoned. The empanada espinaca ($2.50) stuffed with spinach, green onions and cheese is not a typical Argentine filling, but were created in response to a demand for healthier foods, said El Nandu’s Miguel Bustos. Empanadas are served with chimichurri, an Argentine sauce of parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar and oregano, and a salsa picante, a spicy sauce made by the restaurant for American palates. For an authentic Argentine experience, eat these by hand, “like a taco,” and without sauce, said Bustos. El Nandu, 2731 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-278-0900.
Chile
This spot, which offers fried and baked versions, touts itself as the home of the empanada. Deep-fried empanadas are stuffed with cheese, beef, chicken or spinach and cheese. The typical Chilean empanada, the baked version (“empanada de horno”), was stuffed with ground beef, olives, raisins, onions and hard-cooked egg, a mix that was seasoned with paprika and cumin. These ballooned inside a solid crust that gently crumbled when bitten into. They are served with a very spicy sauce called pebre (onions, cilantro, chile, lime, oil and vinegar). Empanada maker Silvia Cerda said eat these by hand, sprinkling pebre as you go. Latin Sandwich Cafe, 4009 N. Elston Ave.; 773-478-0175.
Colombia
We tried the one empanada on the menu, an empanada de carne ($1), which hails from the Bogota region. The small, round, yellow cornmeal pastry, heavily deep-fried, was filled with moist semi-shredded beef and potatoes (and “secret ingredients”). For authentic eating, sprinkle on lime juice and aji (a cilantro, chile and tomato sauce). Brasa Roja, 3125 W. Montrose Ave.; 773-866-2252.
Cuba
Faced with choices such as beef, chicken, vegetables or guava with cheese, we went for a ground beef ($1.50) empanada and a guava with cheese empanada ($1.50). Both were thin-crusted (you can almost see the fillings through the dough) and deep-fried to a crunchy, golden perfection. The beef filling included green olives, raisins and garlic plus red and green peppers. The warm, gooey guava with cheese oozed out of the pocket, standing out against the crunchy shell. Habana Libre, 1440 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-243 -3303.
Mexico
Maiz offers antojitos (“sudden cravings”), including eight empanadas. We tried the cactus empanada (3 for $6.25), a large corn-based, lightly fried pastry filled with chopped green cactus, which had been marinated with garlic and onion, said owner Carlos Reyna. The cactus was reminiscent of a green bean, but the filling to pastry ratio was disappointing. The empanadas arrived atop shredded lettuce with diced tomato, red onion and sour cream garnish. Limes and two bowls of spicy sauce were already at the table. Reyna recommended sprinkling a bit of sauce on the empanada then eating it out of hand. Maiz, 1041 N. California Ave.; 773-276-3149.
Peru
In a Rogers Park strip mall sits this Peruvian spot that serves chicken and beef empanadas made by Augusto Izquierda’s cousin. We opted for the well-seasoned chicken ($3.25), with its peppery chicken, raisins, onions, garlic, parsley, cumin, olives and hard-cooked eggs baked in a golden, cornmeal crust. Eat this treat from the Lima region by cutting it in half and sprinkling lemon juice in the center, Izquierda said, adding that one need not worry about being formal, most people eat empanadas with their hands. Taste of Peru, 6545 N. Clark St.; 773-381-4540.
———-
atplay@tribune.com
