Her Love Language: Holiday Edition No. 2

Salt, Air & Holiday Flair

The holiday season is a time for tradition, family, and food that warms both the heart and the soul. For this recipe of the Holiday Edition, I’m bringing a piece of Brazilian history to your festive table with Empadão de Carne Seca. Empadão de Carne Seca translates to something like 'Shredded Beef Pie.' It's a savoury pie made with layers of buttery pastry and a rich filling of carne seca, Brazilian-styled dried and shredded beef.

Before refrigerators became a household essential, preserving food required creativity and care. In Brazil, Carne Seca—also known as charque or carne de sol—became a staple. This method of salting and air-drying beef allowed families to store meat for longer periods, especially in hot climates. It’s a testament to the ingenuity of those times and how necessity shaped our culinary traditions.

This dish feels like a bridge that connects me to the stories and traditions of my family’s past. When my mom shared memories of how her mother and grandmother used these preservation techniques, it struck me how much love and effort went into making food back then. They didn’t have refrigerators or modern conveniences, but what they did have was resourcefulness and a deep sense of care for their families. My mom told me about how they poured their hearts into every meal, and in turn, I’m pouring mine into this recipe.

To make this dish even more special, I used fresh, organic vegetables from Al Burqan Farm, a local farm here in Qatar, that prides itself on producing high-quality ingredients sustainably. It’s such a joy to know exactly where my ingredients come from and to support a farm that values both the land and the people it feeds. If you’re ever in Qatar, I encourage you to explore the local organic farms like Al Burqan—they’re a treasure trove of fresh, vibrant produce, perfect for bringing out the best in your cooking.

I’ve received some wonderful suggestions for vegetarian and vegan-friendly recipes, and it’s something I’ve been meaning to explore. While I haven’t had the time to dive into them yet, I promise there are some exciting ideas on the horizon. Please keep the suggestions coming—they inspire me more than you know and remind me that this blog is more than just a space for recipes. It’s a community, a place where we connect through the universal language of food.

Let us dive into this buttery, flaky pastry and filled with the rich, savoury goodness of Carne Seca, this pie is more than just a holiday dish—it’s a warm hug from the past, steeped in history, love, and tradition, and brought to life on your table.

Ingredients

For the Carne Seca (sun-dried beef):

1 whole piece of picanha (Brazilian cut of beef)

4 tbsp Sea salt

Black peppercorns: 1 tbsp

Bay leaves: 3

For the Dough:

Butter: 200g

Flour: 400g

Eggs: 3 (one for the dough and two for egg wash)

Yoghurt: 3 tablespoons (around 150 g)

Milk: 6 tablespoons

Baking powder: 1 tablespoon

For the Filling:

Garlic: 1 ½ tablespoons

Black pepper: to taste

Onion: 1 whole

Tomato: 1 whole

Mushrooms: 200g

Chives: for garnish

1/2 cup Cream Cheese

For the Baking Dish:

28 cm round baking dish

Instructions

Preparing the Sun-Dried Beef (Carne Seca)

1. Prepare the picanha: Start with a whole piece of picanha, a famous Brazilian cut of beef. Place the picanha in a Tupperware container, sprinkling 2 tablespoons of sea salt on the bottom. Then, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sea salt on top of the meat. If you prefer, you can include other seasonings, but I kept it simple with just the salt. Cover the container and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.

2. Air-dry the beef: After the salting process, remove the picanha from the Tupperware and rinse off the excess salt to prevent it from becoming too salty. Next, make shallow cuts into the meat—not cutting all the way through, but enough to help it dry more evenly. Hang the meat in a clean, airy space, and place a Tupperware container underneath to catch any drips.

Let it dry for another 2-3 days, until it looks like the image below.

3. Clean and cut the beef: Once the beef has dried, wash it thoroughly to remove excess salt and any particles from air-drying. Pat it dry with paper towels, then cut it into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking process.

4. Cook and remove excess salt: Place the cut beef into the pressure cooker and add enough water to fully cover the meat. Cover the pressure cooker, but don’t pressurise it yet. Cook the beef until it’s thoroughly cooked through—it will turn a greyish colour at this stage. Once cooked, drain and discard the water. This step helps to remove the excess salt from the beef, ensuring it won’t turn out overly salty.

5. Prepare for tenderising: Add fresh water to the pressure cooker, enough to cover the beef again. Add 3 bay leaves and a few whole black peppercorns for extra flavour.

6. Tenderise the beef: Seal the pressure cooker properly this time and cook the beef on high pressure for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s tender and easy to shred.

7. Shred the beef: Once the beef is cooked and tender, remove it from the pressure cooker and let it cool slightly. Shred the beef into small pieces by hand or using two forks, and set it aside for the filling.

Preparing the dough:

1. Start with the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and flour. Use your hands to mix them together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Add the eggs: Crack in one egg and mix it into the dough thoroughly with your hands.

3. Add the milk: Gradually pour in the milk, mixing it into the dough. It might look messy at first, but trust the process. Keep kneading and combining everything until the dough starts to come together.

4. Incorporate the yoghurt: Add three tablespoons of yoghurt and continue mixing. At this stage, the dough may feel sticky and gooey, but don’t worry—keep working it with your hands.

5. Finish with baking powder: Add in the baking powder and mix it thoroughly into the dough. Once everything is combined, wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the vegetables.

Preparing the vegetables:

1. Mince the garlic: Start by finely mincing the garlic.

2. Chop the onions: Dice the onion as small as you can. (I’m still practicing my knife skills, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect—cooking is a journey!)

3. Prepare the tomatoes: Chop the tomatoes into the smallest pieces you can.

4. Clean and cut the mushrooms: Technically, I recently discovered that mushrooms shouldn’t be washed with water, as they can absorb it. Instead, you can peel the outer skin of the mushrooms to clean them. (I did rinse mine lightly with water, though.)

Once peeled, chop the mushrooms into small pieces.

5. Chop the chives: Finally, finely chop the chives to add as a garnish later.

Making the Filling & Assembling the Pie

Preparing the dough:

1. Get the dough out of the fridge: Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking. Cut the dough in half—one half will be used for the bottom of the pie and the other for the top.

2. Roll out the dough: Roll out the first half of the dough into a circle or shape that fits your pie pan (28 cm diameter). Once rolled out, transfer it to the pan and press gently into the bottom. Set the second half of the dough aside for the top later.

Making the Filling

3. Cook the garlic and onions: In a medium pan, heat some sunflower oil over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant.

Then, add in the onions and cook until they begin to soften and become translucent. There's no need for extra salt, as the sun-dried beef already provides plenty of flavour.

4. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms: Once the onions are softened, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down and release their juices.

Then, add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften.

5. Add the shredded sun-dried beef. Next, add your prepared sun-dried beef and stir everything together. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed, though you might find the filling doesn't require any additional salt. Feel free to add black pepper, paprika, or any other spices you enjoy.

6. Add the spring onion: For added flavour and texture, stir in some finely chopped spring onions. These will bring a subtle freshness and a mild crunch that complements the rich beef filling.

7. Add the cream cheese: Before adding the filling into the pie, mix in the cream cheese to the mixture. This will make the pie creamier and help precent it from drying out after baking.

   
   

Assembling the Pie:

7. Add the filling to the dough: Once the filling is ready, spoon it into the prepared dough in the pie pan, spreading it out evenly.

8. Prepare the top layer: Take the second half of the dough and roll it out to cover the filling. Once rolled, carefully place it over the pie. You can gently press the edges to seal the top layer, and if you’d like, add some decorative elements to the top for a festive touch. While decoration skills don’t always need to be perfect, adding a personal, heartfelt touch makes the pie special.

9. Egg wash the pie: In a small bowl, take one egg yolk and lightly beat it. Use a brush to apply a thin, even layer of the yolk over the top of the pie. If the pie feels a little large, you might need a second egg yolk to fully coat it.

10. Bake the pie: Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden, brown, and crispy. Keep an eye on it—depending on your oven's temperature, it might cook faster or slower. Once the pie is golden, crispy, and beautifully browned, remove it from the oven. Let it cool down for a few minutes before slicing. Serve it however you like, and enjoy the love and care that went into every bite!

Closing Thoughts

Cooking, especially when shared with loved ones, is one of the most beautiful ways to create lasting memories and traditions. Whether you're making this pie with family, or just preparing it for someone special, I hope this recipe brings warmth and joy to your kitchen. It's the kind of dish that fills the room with love and the wonderful aroma of homemade goodness.

Take your time with it, get creative with your decorations, and enjoy the process. After all, it's the effort and love you put into your food that makes it truly special. And if you can, make it a little tradition in your household — cook it together, share it, and celebrate the love that food brings.

I’d love to hear what you think of the recipe! Share your thoughts in the comments and let me know how it turned out. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more recipes, cooking tips, and updates. You can find all the latest posts and creations there!

Happy cooking, and I hope this pie becomes a delicious part of your family’s food traditions!

From her kitchen, with love ♡