Picadillo – Close, But No Cigar

I’m not sure if you’ve had picadillo before, but I’m very sure you’ve almost had it before. This Cuban creation is one of the world’s great ground meat dishes, and fairly similar to sloppy Joes, as well as bean-less chili, or as a chili connoisseur would call it, “chili." 

I went with beef here, but pork can be added, as well as chorizo. Often fillers like diced potato and squash are added, but since I serve this over rice, I typically don’t include those. I used to be more into hot, starch-on-starch action when I was younger, but these days, not so much.

As I mentioned in the video, many consider the olives optional, but for me, they’re one of the keys to the dish. Those briny bites reset your palate as you eat, which makes every bite seem like the first. Having said that, not everyone does olives, but I still really hope you give it a try soon – with capers. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85/15 lean/fat)

1 cup diced yellow onions

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

3 cups crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup currants or raisins

1/2 cup sliced green olives, or to taste