CHEF JOHN'S PICADILLO

Chef John's Picadillo image

A Cuban creation, picadillo is one of the world's great ground meat dishes. I went with beef, but you can add some pork and/or chorizo. Serve it with rice.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Caribbean

Time 55m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds ground beef (85% lean)
1 cup diced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
3 cups crushed tomatoes
¼ cup water
¼ cup currants or raisins
½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives, or to taste

Steps:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula as it browns. Cook until meat completely loses its pink color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add diced onion and salt. Cook until onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add pepper, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Stir in red wine vinegar, crushed tomatoes, and water. Cook a few minutes while deglazing pan. Add currants; bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Gently stir in sliced olives; cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 485.4 calories, Carbohydrate 26.3 g, Cholesterol 111.4 mg, Fat 27 g, Fiber 5.5 g, Protein 37 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, Sodium 1509.8 mg, Sugar 7.9 g