Como se hace: Picadillo (Traditional Cuban Recipe)

PICADILLO

I'm excited to share with you the recipe for Picadillo, a traditional Cuban meal that was my favorite dish growing up. It is versatile, and difficult to mess up, so I encourage even you newer cooks out there to give it a go. Traditionally, it is served over rice, but I make a ton and sometimes mix it in with an egg and avocado for a hearty breakfast, or throw it into some corn tortillas for tacos. This is the recipe I use, and feel free to get creative if there is a certain spice you really like, or another vegetable you would like to add (hopefully I'm not being too sacrilegious here).

Cebolla

I always make a large batch so that it lasts a few days worth of meals. So; if you don't want to make a full two pounds of this, buy less beef and halve the recipe. This is an awesome dish if you are on a budget, because the ingredients are cheap and a little goes a long way. It's also quick to make, unless you don't have a food processor, in which case you'll be a-choppin for a while.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds grass fed/finished ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced (I LOVE GARLIC)
• 2 small tomatoes or one large one, chopped
• 1 small potato, peeled and cut into tiny cubes
• 1 teaspoon of capers
• 2 tablespoons Cumin
• 1 tablespoon Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter, or coconut oil
• White rice. We use Mahatma (you can find this anywhere).

Directions:

1. Grab a large skillet and heat up enough butter or coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan
2. Add the onions and green bell pepper. Saute on medium heat until it softens and the onions get translucent.
3. Turn the heat down to it's lowest setting. Add the garlic and stir.
4. Stir in the tomatoes. 
5. Add the spices. Now you have the sofrito, which is the base for many Cuban dishes.
6. Now it's time to add the beef. Mix the beef into the sofrito, cover the pan, and let simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. 
7. Before the beef is fully cooked, stir in the potatoes, cover the pan, and let simmer until the beef is completely cooked. If you add the potatoes too early, the will get soggy, so make sure that's your final step.
8. While your beef is cooking, make the rice by following the instructions on the bag. 
9. Serve the picadillo over rice and be happy. If you really want to get authentic, pair with a simple side salad and fried or sauteed plantains. Best served around at a table full of friends and plenty of laughter, stories, and good wine. ALABAO! Que disfruten~