My mother’s picadillo recipe had raisins, olives, and green pepper. That is the classic Cuban style, but those three ingredients are banned from all Sueiro versions of this staple dish. I enjoyed those ingredients separately but I believed those flavors clashed if mixed in with ground beef and tomato sauce. And, if I didn’t like it, neither would my kids.
So…no way, Jose!
Picadillo was a quick, mid-week meal piled onto a bed of white rice and topped with a fried egg if you were daring. If I had some ripe plantains, they were added to the fried deliciousness that was Cuban food. I could add my mom’s amazing fried corn fritters but, though tempted, let’s save that for another day.
Maggie’s Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 1 lb 90/10 ground beef
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 or 2 bay leaf
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp Dried sage
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Sauté onion and garlic in a little olive oil until translucent.
- Add the meat and brown.
- Add onion and garlic back into the pan with the meat. Add all the spices and tomato sauce. Stir well, cover and lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve over white rice. Fried plantains and avocado salad on the side.