Picadillo - Latin ground beef stew
This picadillo recipe is made from ground beef stewed with layers of savory latin flavors of sazon, onions, garlic, olives sweet peppers and cilantro. Served over fluffy white rice, it makes a perfect weeknight meal.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 TBS neutral oil vegetable, avocado etc
- 2 lbs ground beef or substitute chicken, turkey, pork or lamb
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup sofrito OR same amount mix of finely chopped sweet peppers and cilantro
- 1/3 cup stuffed manzanilla olives whole or chopped
- 1 TBS capers
- 4 TBS tomato paste
- 1 TBS sazon OR 1/2 TBS each of paprika and cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium potato diced
- 2 tsp diamond kosher salt OR 1 tsp table salt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Add oil to a large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat.
- Once oil is hot, add ground meat. Break up meat into small pieces as it cooks, stirring occasionally. Cook until meat begins to brown, about 12- 15 minutes.
- Add chopped onions to the meat and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, sofrito or minced peppers and onions, as well as your spices. Mix into meat and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste, olives and capers and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Add enough water to reach the top of the meat mixture (approximately 3.5 to 4 cups), salt, bay leaf, and diced potatoes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 40 minutes and up to 1.5 hours. You can continue this simmering on the stive, or transfer to a hot oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook there.
- Once finished, taste and increase salt if necessary. You can add optional minced cilantro garnish.