Picadillo

Directions

  1. 1Place two pounds of ground beef in a hot pan and break it apart with a spatula.
  2. 2Season the ground beef with 1 tablespoon of salt.
  3. 3Cook the ground beef until there is no pink visible.
  4. 4Add half a diced white onion to the pan.
  5. 5Cook until the onion is translucent.
  6. 6Add two diced Roma tomatoes to the pan and stir.
  7. 7Once the tomatoes start to break apart, add two diced yellow potatoes. Ensure all pieces are of similar size for even cooking.
  8. 8Stir occasionally while the meat continues to cook, being careful not to over-stir to avoid mashing the potatoes.
  9. 9In a blender, combine three tomatoes, one-fourth of an onion, one to two serrano peppers (depending on spice preference), two garlic cloves, one teaspoon of salt, one-fourth teaspoon of ground cumin, a big pinch of peppercorns, and two cups of water.
  10. 10Blend the mixture until super smooth.
  11. 11Pour the blended sauce into the pan with the meat and vegetables.
  12. 12Stir the mixture well. Observe the sauce changing to a darker color as it cooks.
  13. 13Cover the pan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are nice and soft.
  14. 14Serve the picadillo with a side of arroz rojo and quesadillas, topped with salsa verde.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef (80/20 or leaner)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 0.5 white onion
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 2 yellow potatoes
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 0.25 onion
  • 1 to 2 serrano peppers
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin
  • a big pinch peppercorns or ground pepper
  • 2 cups water

Equipment

panspatulablenderlidladlebowl

Tips

  • For a drier picadillo, cook with the lid off.
  • Dice potatoes to a similar size for even cooking.
  • Do not over-stir the potatoes to prevent them from turning into mush.