Picadillo (Cuba)
Picadillo is considered one of the staple dishes in Cuban cuisine. It's a dish that many Cubans grew up eating, often prepared by their grandmothers or mothers, and it evokes memories of home and family. Picadillo is incredibly versatile and ingredients can easily be swapped out depending on what's available. Connect with our Cuba program by making this delicious dish and learn how we're helping children in Cuba at www.forwardedge.org/cuba.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, peeled and diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons sofrito
- 1 pound ground beef
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 packet or 2 teaspoons Sazón seasoning with cilantro and achiote
- 1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried raisins
- 8-10 pimiento stuffed olives, sliced into rings
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cooked white rice to accompany
Instructions
- Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the oil, veggies and the sofrito. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until the veggies soften
- Add the ground beef into the pan, break it up with a spoon and cook until it's no longer pink.
- Season the cooked ground beef with the adobo, sazón, tomato sauce, cumin and oregano. Stir the mixture together to distribute the spices.
- Add 1/4 cup of water, the raisins and the olives, then lower the heat to simmer, let the mixture stew together, uncovered. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. The picadillo should be saucy, but not soupy. If there's too much liquid, cook until it's to your desired consistency.
- Serve hot with rice.
Notes
Some recipes add slivered almonds for crunch.