ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

María del Carmen Vicario

Argentinian
Empanadas
Empanadas with La Chacha
Contents

● The wood and the oven

● Los repulgues (The folds)

● The wine

● Pairings

2
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Presentación

❏ Primer concepto
❏ Segundo concepto
❏ Tercer concepto
❏ Cuarto concepto

The wood and the oven

The wood and the oven
La Casa del Visitante
The essence of Casa del Visitante is to use fire and
clay ovens for all preparations. Also, the use of
regional products, always in season. With every
plate, we aim to transmit warmth, so that our visitors
feel at home.

En Casa del Visitante, we use two types of wood:

vine shoots, that have an intense flame and an
unmistakable aroma, but a shorter duration than
other types of wood, and carob, which is a hard
wood. Obviously, dierent types of wood provide
their distinct aromas, and this is what allows
preparations that are cooked in clay ovens to be so
specific.

4
The wood and the oven
La Casa del Visitante
Our oven is constructed in the classic way, with a
base of cement mixed with glass in order to maintain
the heat, and heat resistant bricks inside that also
help to maintain the temperature. The dome is made
with square bricks with a wire mesh that is
completely covered with clay, and then a layer of
cement is placed on top to provide a lile more
rigidity. In Mendozan houses, ovens are generally
finished with cement, but our intensive use requires
it to be more robust and withstand more cooking,
which is why the construction of our oven is finished
in this way.

5
The wood and the oven
La Casa del Visitante
Cooking in a clay oven is typical of the Mendoza
region: through this we can achieve flavors that
would be impossible to obtain in a common oven. In
the case of Empanadas, for example, the provides a
crisp outer texture and a characteristic smokiness.

6
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Presentación

❏ Primer concepto
❏ Segundo concepto
❏ Tercer concepto
❏ Cuarto concepto
The folds
(Los repulgues)
Los repulgues (the folds)
Beef Empanadas
For the Beef empanadas, I make four folds with the
open ends, without touching, and then I make four
closures.
Los repulgues (the folds)
Cheese Empanadas
For the cheese empanadas, it is important to make
many small closures or folds, one next to the other
and very tight, to prevent the cheese from escaping
during cooking.
Los repulgues (the folds)
Onion Empanadas
I take the ends of each empanada and close them
inwards and then, in the middle of the empanada, I
make one more closure, inwards again (it looks like a
frog’s mouth)
Los repulgues (the folds)
Corn Empanadas
For the corn empanadas, it’s important to make
many folds, side by side, and tightly closed to
prevent the moisture from escaping during cooking.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Presentación

❏ Primer concepto
❏ Segundo concepto
❏ Tercer concepto
❏ Cuarto concepto

The wine
The wine
A great companion for the empanada

If pairing is about both food and wine finding their best
expression in their combination and enhancing each
other, wine and empanadas are undoubtedly a
successful and well-established marriage.
The wine and empanada agreement predates any wrien
rule. It is an almost ancestral meeting that is rooted in the
tradition and culture of the whole of Argentina and that
has survived generation after generation without losing
validity.
And it is infallible because, beyond any theoretical
knowledge, it is based on experience, on the tradition
passed down from parent to child, and on the
gastronomic culture of each place, which takes
advantage of the products that grow there naturally. It is
not surprising then that empanadas and wines are
strongly linked, since large wine-producing provinces,
such as Mendoza, Salta, San Juan, Tucumán and La Rioja,
are also home to iconic empanadas, each with their own
style and tradition.

When thinking of harmonizing dishes with beverages,

one of the criteria to take into account is the region. It is
about combining the typical dish of a region with a local
drink.

13
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Presentación

❏ Primer concepto
❏ Segundo concepto
❏ Tercer concepto
❏ Cuarto concepto

Pairing
Pairings
Onion Empanada
Onion requires a wine that provides freshness, but is
intense enough to match its characteristic and
penetrating flavor.

Rosé wines are the perfect companions for this

option. It is also interesting to accompany onion
empanadas with orange wines, made with white
grapes with skins in contact.

A classic sauvignon blanc with good acidity also

goes wonderfully with onions.

15
Pairings
Cheese Empanada
In the humita empanada, the key is the sweetness
and creaminess of the corn. A dry and fruity white
provides an ideal harmony. The Chardonnay,
Viognier and Torrontés varieties provide freshness,
but also a certain volume that gives the perfect
balance to the combination.

16
Pairings
Beef Empanada
The meat empanada combines perfectly with a rich,
medium-bodied red, which is also a classic of
Argentine gastronomy. Of course, Malbec in its
various styles is the natural partner, but it also pairs
well with bonarda, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet
franc, and tempranillo. You just have to take into
account that the tannins (astringency) are not
excessive. But if you want to play with contrasts and
especially if the filling is seasoned with a lot of
spices, we recommend an aromatic and young
torrontés that will balance the intensity and provide
freshness.

17
Pairings
Sweet Empanadas (Pastelitos)
A sweet wine is necessary to balance the flavors and
so that the palate does not become saturated.

Natural sweet wines and late harvests are the ideal

choice.

18
Transforming people and
connecting cultures
through gastronomy.
Nothing can stop you!