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Saltenas are a type of empanada. Saltenas originated in Bolivia but can be found in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and the US. Saltenas are pastries filled with beef, pork, or chicken which are mixed in either a sweet, somewhat spicy, or a very spicy sauce. It is a tradition in Bolivia to enjoy a mid-morning snack of this delicious meal. Most vendors start to sell saltenas very early in the morning, and by mid-morning stores are completely sold out. Below is a recipe for the popular snack (Saltenas).

//Saltenas//
1 cup lard or margarine 1 cup ground spicy red pepper (cayenne) mixed with water ½ tablespoon ground cumin ½ tablespoon black ground pepper ½ tablespoon crumbled oregano 1½ tablespoon salt 2 cups white onion, cut into small cubes 1½ cups green onion, finely chopped 3 pounds lean meat, cut into small cubes 1 cup potato, peeled, cooked, and cut into small cubes ½ cup cooked green peas ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ tablespoon vinegar ½ cup parsley, finely chopped 2 spoonfuls unflavored gelatin dissolved in 3 cups water ½ black olive per //salteña// 3 raisins per salteña 1 slice of boiled egg per //salteña//

Preparation:

 * 1) In a casserole add the margarine and the spicy red pepper. Set to boil over high heat until the margarine separates from the pepper. Next add cumin, ground black pepper, oregano, and salt. Let cook for ten minutes over low heat so that the mixture does not stick. Stir constantly. Next add the white onion and let it cook for five more minutes. Finally add the green onion.
 * 2) Remove the casserole from the heat, add the sugar, vinegar, parsley, potato and cooked peas.
 * 3) In another casserole add the three gelatin cups. Let it cook over high heat and as soon as it starts to boil, add the meat. Mix quickly and remove from the heat.
 * 4) Mix the first preparation with the gelatin and meat. Let it cool in the refrigerator one night or until it thickens. If wanted, add the olives, raisins and egg before it thickens or add them directly on the dough when preparing the //salteñas//.

__DOUGH__ Ingredients:
12 cups flour 1½ cups lard or margarine (boiling) 6 whole eggs ½ cup sugar 3 teaspoons salt 2¼ cups lukewarm water (more or less)

Preparation:
(Recipes Gallery/Saltenas)
 * 1) Sift the flour in a bowl and add the boiling lard or margarine. Mix quickly with a wood spoon. Let it cool for a few minutes and add the eggs, the sugar and lukewarm water with salt. Knead until getting a dry dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for ten minutes.
 * 2) Divide all the dough into fifty small balls and thin them out one by one with a roller, until getting round-shaped pieces (about ¼ of and inch thick by 5 inches of diameter).
 * 3) On each round-shaped piece put a spoonful of the filling with the olive, raisins and egg, if these ingredients were not mixed before.
 * 4) Dampen the edges of each piece with water, fold each one and join the edges very well so that each //salteña// is closed perfectly. Leave the closing on top.
 * 5) Put //salteña//s, on a backing sheet sprinkled with flour. Place each //salteña// separate from the next one. Bake them at a high temperature between seven to ten minutes. Serve them warm.