Picadillo Cubano
Picadillo is a Cuban dish that comes in many variations, but this one is quite good and can be adjusted based on what you have in your fridge. I don’t add salt to this recipe because the olives are quite salty, and I like to use a lot of them.
250-500 g ground beef
1/2 pepper (green or red)
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2-1 jar passata
1/2 tsp capers, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2-1 dl green stuffed olives
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Rice, for serving
I always start by putting the rice in a pot so it can cook while I prepare the rest of the dish.
Chop the vegetables and have them ready.
In a pan, brown the ground beef, then add the onion, garlic, tomato, and pepper.
Once the onion is softened, add the passata, bay leaves, cumin, capers, pepper, and olives. Let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Many variations of this dish also include diced potatoes and carrots. If you choose to add these, I recommend adding a bit of beef broth as needed. It’s also common to add a handful of raisins and even green peas for extra flavor and texture.
Serve the picadillo over the cooked rice.