Cuban Picadillo
Cuban Picadillo! This classic, seasoned ground beef dish is so intensely flavorful. A perfect weeknight meal when served with rice or hearty filling for various appetizers.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 1 small bell pepper diced
- 1 pound ground beef ground sirloin or ground round works well
- ¼ cup dry white wine or beef/chicken stock
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup beef stock or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup pimento-stuffed olives chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Move the vegetables over to one side and add the ground beef. Using a wooden spoon (or a potato masher, which works great), break up the ground beef. Toss the veggies and meat together, and cook until the meat is no longer pink and thoroughly cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the wine (or additional stock), crushed tomato, beef or chicken stock, oregano, bay leaf, cumin, stirring until well-combined. Reduce heat to low.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in raisins and olives and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve over white rice for a classic combination!
Notes
Variations:
- Picadillo Con Papas (Picadillo with Potatoes). Peel and dice 1 russet potato and add to a small pot of boiling water. Cook until just fork tender. Drain, and add the par-cooked potatoes to the mixture after the meat is no longer pink. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Turkey Picadillo. Substitute ground turkey (I prefer the 93% lean for better texture and richness) for ground beef. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Vegan Picadillo. Substitute plant-based ground "beef" or 2 cups of cooked lentils for ground meat. Use vegetable stock instead of beef stock. Proceed with the recipe as directed.