Picadillo
Picadillo can be found all over Latin America, the Caribbean and even the Philippines. Its ingredients vary from region to region, and probably from chef to chef. Our Cuban-style picadillo is made with ground beef. We also add raisins, fresh chillies, capers and green olives to make it a little sweet and spicy, as well as salty and tangy. An exciting mid-week meal that’s easy to prepare.
Cooking: 45 mins
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 small red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 600g minced beef
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp sugar
- 50ml dry white wine
- 50ml Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2–3 fresh chillies, sliced (adjust to taste)
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
- 75g raisins
- 100g pimento-stuffed green olives, halved
- 50g capers
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped (optional)
Recipe
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion and red pepper and sauté until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Next, add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
- Add the beef and cook until no longer pink (about 10 minutes), stirring and breaking up the chunks.
- Then mix in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, followed by the sugar, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin and chillies.
- Cook for about 5 minutes to let the liquid reduce.
- Stir in the tomatoes, potato cubes, raisins, olives and capers. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes (until the potato cubes are soft).
- Season with a little salt and black pepper, and remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
Garnish with chopped coriander or parsley, and serve with rice, fried plantains and a small salad.
Tip: Picadillo also makes a great filling for tacos or empanadas!
Fancy a traditional British comfort food instead? Check out our mince and tatties recipe.