Cuban Picadillo

Picadillo appears in various cultures (mostly Hispanic) and varies from place to place. My first experience with picadillo was when a Cuban friend brought it to us. We practically fought over the leftovers, so I knew I needed to figure out how to make it. I used several recipes as guides, and put in the ingredients I like. Feel free to do the same. I would also like to try this with sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

4 cloves garlic

1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped finely

1 green pepper, chopped

½ cup beef stock

3/4 cup OR 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 small potatoes, peeled and diced OR 4 cups diced frozen potatoes

½ cup golden raisins

8-10 (or more if you like) green olives, pitted

1-2 tablespoons capers (to taste)

Salt and pepper (and cayenne pepper if desired) to taste

Serve with rice—I add turmeric to the rice.

In a large frying pan, cook the ground beef with the oregano and cumin. When the beef is almost done and broken up, add the garlic, onion, and green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

Add the diced potato. Cover and cook until the potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. If the picadillo is dry, add more tomato sauce or water.

Add the raisins, olives, and capers, and cook 10 minutes uncovered or until the liquid is evaporated, but the mixture is still moist.

Salt and pepper (black and cayenne pepper if desired) to taste.