Picadillo Recipe (Cuban-Style)

Hello, my friend, my name is JC, and I want to welcome you to another episode here at the Redneck Cuban Kitchen. Today we will make a Cuban picadillo. I say “Cuban” because this is a traditional dish of Spain popular throughout all the countries Spain colonized between the 16^th and 18^th centuries. That includes many counties throughout many Latin American and even the Philippines. The word “Picadillo” is slang Spanish for picar (a lot), which means “to mince a lot or many times.” Although today it is prepared with ground beef in colonial times is was often done with minced meat.

The Cuban picadillo is unique because it incorporated raisins and, on some occasions, small diced fried potatoes. As I said in the video, this came about when my friend Kyle had some in Miami, of all places, but right away noticed something was off! So, I asked him, did it have raising? He said, yes! Did it have olives? He said I don’t think so, but it did have peppercorns! It was then I knew I have to make a video about how to make picadillo! You see, what makes this dish work is the contrast of bitter olives with the sweet raisins over a savory background! Mess with that and you may as well make some taco meat or sloppy Joe!

• 1 lb. 80% lead ground beef
• ½ Cup of Sliced Pepper Stuffed Olives
• ½ Cup of Raisins
• 1 15 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 5-6 Cloves of Garlic
• ¼ of an onion
• 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
• 2 Bay Leaves
• ¼ of a Green Bell Pepper*
• ¼ of a Red or Yellow Bell Pepper*
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Oregano (Italian Seasoning will do!)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 16 oz. of water

* ½ bell pepper any color will do! The color difference is just for the presentation

Properly seasoned ground beef is key to this dish. So start by depositing your beef in a deep saucepan and breaking it up. I know that many people are dealing with health issues and tend to choose lean cuts of beef. However, for this dish, 80% lean is best. If you want, you can skim some of the fat from the top before serving. But trust me, the taste difference is noticeable. After breaking up and spreading your ground beef in your saucepan mixed all your dry spices (Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Oregano, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, and the essential Cinnamon), spread it over your meat, and mix it well. Put the lid on your saucepan and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

In the meantime, let’s mince the garlic, as well as the bell pepper and the onion. After an hour or so, bring the saucepan back to the stove and turn the heat to medium. Spread the meat to the outer edges, put about two teaspoons of olive oil right in the center along with your diced pepper and onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until the onions get a little soft, and then mix in the beef. Cover it and cook it under medium-low heat for about five minutes or until the beef starts to get a little color. At which time we’ll stir in our garlic. Continue to stir for a minute or two.

At this time, pour in your can of diced tomatoes, the water, the tomato paste, the red wine vinegar, and the two bay leaves. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, covered, and cook it under medium heat for 15-minutes.

After the first 15-minutes have elapsed, we’ll add the raisins and the olives, mix it thoroughly, covered it, and cook for another 15-minutes. This time under medium-low heat. After the time has expired, let it stand for about 5 minutes off the heat. This allows the flavors to come together, mix once again and serve!

Cuban Picadillo with Potatoes: Depending on what you are pairing your picadillo with, some people like to add potatoes, especially when you are serving it with just white rice. For this option, dice a medium-size white potato into small ½ inch cubes. Fry under high heat just enough to give them a little bit of color and seal the outside. Let them sit in a napkin, and add them along with the raisins and olives.

Cuban Picadillo Sauce: Some people like the picadillo a bit on the wet side, and if you are having it with just plain white rice, the addition of 1 to 1 ½ cup of tomato sauce (pasta sauce will do) is ideal.

Cuban Picadillo Sides: Although this is a type of dish that goes with anything, I find that Maduro’s (fry ripe plantains) seem to accentuate the dish’s flavor the best!

Thank you, for stopping by, and if you have any questions, know that you can always contact me at the contact link below, or on social media at the Cuban Food Nation Facebook group.