Oh Mama, Empanada!
I don’t want to assume that everyone knows what an empanada is but I also don’t want to bore everyone else with an intricate description. Let’s just say, if you know what a Hot Pockets is then you are on the right track. The difference is that empanadas are far better in quality than Hot Pockets and the flavors of the fillings varies from region to region.
National Empanada Day falls on April 8th every year and what better way to find out more about this national day than to refer to Nationaldaycalendar.com. According to the site, “The name empanada comes from the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish verb em pandar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.” Also the site states that, “A cookbook published in 1520 in Catalan, the Libre del Coch by Ruperto de Nola, mentions empanadas filled with seafood.” This data was interesting to me because I had no idea that empanadas have been around for that long or that they came from Galicia.
Even though I was joking when I compared Hot Pockets to empanadas, the concept is very similar. Fill some dough with a variety of stuffing, coat the outside with an egg wash for a shiny tan finish then bake or fry the whole thing. The filling can be meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit or all of the above. For many, it’s a complete meal on the go. The bread or dough that surrounds the filling of an empanada is firm, flaky (like a pie crust) and is usually shaped like a half moon.
During my informal taste tests, I have discovered that some empanadas have a dry version of filling inside which is usually complimented with a sauce. And then there are the empanadas that do not need any condiments at all because they are made to be eaten as is. I’ve eaten empanadas for as long as I can remember - for now, I will share my data from my most recent encounters.
Twin Cities example #1 - DelSur Empanadas. This place has empanadas down pat. There is a chart of the fillings and they stamp each empanada with the letters that correspond. Empanadas are available to be eaten immediately or sold frozen to be baked whenever we are ready to consume them. My neighbor picked up a couple dozen for us and I must say it was the easiest dinner I ever made. I popped the frozen empanadas in the oven and when they were baked, I served them with a salad. It was a complete meal. This venue offers two kinds or sauces. Usually an oil based sauce and a creamy, chipotle sauce. I’m sure some sauces go better with certain fillings, but I’m not particular; I like both sauces on all empanadas. This venue offers gluten-free empanadas which taste amazing.
My neighbors, who are both doctors, wanted to let me in on one of their time saver, delicious meals. I had a board meeting on this night so I popped these in the oven and made a salad. The family was able to enjoy them hot out of the oven. So delicious! If you look closely at the edges, you can see a B - which stands for beef.
Twin Cities example #2 - Boludo. The man behind these empanadas made them as a menu item for a local restaurant called Martina. Empanadas was my “go to” item whenever we ate there. When he started Boludo, his own restaurant, he combined both his amazing recipes for great pizza with his empanadas and the place is crazy popular. I think it’s safe to say there is a cult following. This venue also sells gluten-free empanadas which taste delicious. I will say, the oil based sauce for these empanadas is the golden ticket to enjoying them. The flavors just hit the right note and makes the entire experience so perfect.
Denver example - Maria Empanada. Featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives, my neighbor told me to check it out. I did and it lives up to the hype. Also a venue that offers frozen and ready to eat but offers many filling choices, including sweet dessert empanadas. I always buy more than enough empanadas because they can be eaten for days for any meal or snacks. Always better to have more than not enough.
No line today at Maria Empanadas. I got lucky.
Fancy - the chart for the filings of the empanadas illustrates the many shapes that the empanadas come in.
I have sampled them all. My favorite is the Chimichurri.
Vegetarian options for my daughter and the hub. I didn’t want to buy too many because we will be celebrating National Empanada Day in a couple of days; April 8th and I didn’t want them to get sick of them.
Bought these breakfast empanadas to give to my friend at my early dentist appointment. They won’t be warm but I hope they have a microwave in the office.
Empanadas do not discriminate - dessert fillings are also offered at Maria Empanada.
For once, I will be early with my thoughtful pinches for this national day. I found the silver lining when I wasn’t able to find a single picture of a Boludo empanada in my photo library. I decided to go to Maria Empanada in Denver to create new images. While I was there, I bought some gift cards and some empanadas to give away. I thought it would be nice to give someone a chance to taste them if they haven’t already tried them and then they could use the gift card to buy some more for National Empanada Day or whenever they wanted to enjoy them. I gave the Beef Classico empanadas, the dessert empanadas and the gift card to our nephew today and I felt a sense of joy to be able to brighten up his evening. Can’t wait to give away the breakfast empanadas tomorrow. Hope you can find joy in some empanadas wherever you are on the 8th!
Btw, if you need a taste tester for your empanada recipe, this mama is willing to take one for the team.
Pinches,
Barb