Ingredients
"2 medium potatoes",
"4 cups chicken stock (or beef)",
"2 tablespoons vegetable oil",
"1 pound stewing beef",
"1 large onion (diced)",
"1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced)",
"2 tablespoons aji panca paste",
"1 teaspoon cumin",
"1 teaspoon paprika (smoked)",
"1 teaspoon oregano",
"Dash salt (to taste)",
"Dash black pepper (to taste)",
"1/2 cup peas (frozen)",
"1 (1/4 oz.) package gelatin (unflavored)",
"1/2 cup water",
"14 to 16 olives (green)",
"4 cups flour",
"5 tablespoons vegetable shortening (or lard)",
"4 tablespoons butter",
"1 tablespoon achiote",
"1 teaspoon salt",
"1/4 cup sugar",
"3/4 cup water",
"1 egg"
Instructions
Gather the ingredients.
Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1/2-inch cubes.
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 both aside.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the vegetable oil; add the beef and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and aji panca paste to the skillet and sauté until the onion has softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the cumin, paprika, and oregano and then sauté for several minutes.
Add the beef back to the skillet and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the reserved broth (from cooking the potatoes) to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer the beef and vegetables over low heat until the beef is tender (about 30 to 40 minutes). Add a bit more broth if needed.
Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked potatoes and peas and cook until heated through.
Dissolve the gelatin in the water. Add to the beef mixture and stir well.
Remove from the heat and transfer the filling to a casserole dish. Refrigerate until cooled completely.
Gather the ingredients.
Place the flour in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, vegetable shortening, and achiote. Heat over medium heat until hot.
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.
In the same small saucepan, stir the sugar and salt into the water and heat until the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is hot. Stir this into the flour mixture, along with the egg.
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.
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.
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 1/8 inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Place 2 tablespoons of the chilled filling in the middle of each dough round and add an olive. Fold the dough in half over the filling and pinch and twist the edges together to seal the dough all the way around and create a braided look.
Place the salteñas on a baking sheet, braid up, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let rest until cool enough to handle. Serve and enjoy.
Prep: PT360M
Cook: PT90M
Total: PT450M
Serves: 14
