saltena recipe
(Cochabamba, Bolivia)
For the dough (masa):
1 pound of flour
1/2 pound of shortening
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of water with 1/2 tsp. salt dissolved
2 tablespoon of chili powder (yellow aji, in Bolivia)
2 egg yolks
For the stew inside (jigote):
1 pounds of meat (beef, chicken or pork) in small cubes
1/2 pound of bone marrow (beef, usually)
5 cups of beef broth, adding one package of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of powered yellow chili pepper
6 boiled (but firm) potatoes - diced
2 white or red onions - finely chopped
3 tablespoons of parsely - finely chopped
1 pound of black olives - pitted
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 cup of cooked peas
1 tablespoon of pepper
salt to taste
PREPARATION:
You will prepare the dough AFTER preparing the stew. The stew must remain overnight in the refrigerator. So prepare the dough the next day right before getting ready to add the stew and then bake the salteñas: for the dough mix the flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, and yellow chili pepper in a blender. When the dough starts to get thick add the water and egg yolks. The dough will be come very firm. Knead the dough until it is well blended. Then roll out the dough and cut into rounds (like tortillas) that are 1/2 an inch thick and about 10 centimeters across).
For the stew fry the onions and yellow chili pepper. When cooked, add 4 cups of the beef broth (having already added the unflavored gelatin to the broth) and allow to boil. Add the diced meat and cook 15 minutes.
Take it off the stove and add the bone marrow, parsley, peas, cooked potatoes, pepper, salt and the 1 remaining cup of beef broth.
Put it into a container in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the gelatin to firm up the stew enough to be able to spoon the stew onto the rounds of dough you made. It will have become gelatinous which is necessary otherwise it would be impossible to fill the dough with the stew. Place one scoop of gelatinous stew onto each round of dough, add one olive to each, fold over in half and crimp to seal (like you would the edge of a pie).
It is VERY important it be completely fully sealed because while it is baking the stew will become juicy again.
Place the salteña upright with the sealed edge on TOP on a greased cookie sheet. Brush the entire exterior with egg white and bake at 375º until the crimped edge is very well toasted and the dough is a dark golden brown (also will look yellowish because of the chili pepper which is fine).
Serve piping hot!
Salteñas are generally served between 9 and 11 am with tea, coffee or soda as a mid-morning snack.
You can freeze salteñas (unbaked) as long as they are very well wrapped. When you want to bake them, place them immediately from the freezer to the oven - do not thaw.
