Picadillo

This traditional Latin American dish is the local hash made with ground beef and tomatoes. 

My husband gets on food kicks. Lately it is Cuban food. This is both good and bad for me. It means he does lots of research and wants to cook dinner. A major plus.

The con is that normally what he picks out is elaborate.  It requires an extra trip to the store for ingredients and leaves the sink heaping with all the dirty dishes once the cooking is all said and done.

This is the second time we made picadillo. We originally had it at Bongos, the Cuban restaurant, in Downtown Disney. 

The olives and capers make the dish super salty in my book but that is easily parred down but not adding any extra salt and serving with black beans or rice. Mr. J likes to top his plate with an egg and thinks the potatoes are the best starch for the dish.

Picadillo

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and seeded, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives plus 2 tablespoons brine
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 large waxy potato (such as Yukon Gold or red about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 scallions, diced
• 6 eggs, one for each serving

Instructions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and bay leaves and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add wine and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes more.

Add meat stirring to break up chunks. Once browned, stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, olives, capers, brine, and potatoes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

Remove cover and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve with an egg cooked over easy and topped with scallions if desired.

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