Picadillo

There’s a drizzle outside with the promise of more substantial rain throughout the night. I’ve been anxiously awaiting for an excuse to stay in and ignore all texts. Feeling slightly exhausted from the work week, I’m craving a warm meal that is soothing, simple, and will provide leftovers that are begging to be poured over fries.

Picadillo comes from the spanish word “picar” which means to chop / mince and is a staple in mexican kitchens. Its simplest form is made of minced beef with chopped potatoes and tomatoes - similar to a hash that can be made either soupy or dry. I prefer mine on the dryer side as I don’t like my tortillas to get soggy when I make tacos with the meat.

Picadillo
Serves 4 - 6

1 small onion, diced
1 serrano pepper, pierced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp turmeric
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 small bell pepper, diced (red, orange, yellow)
1 russet potato, diced
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
½ cup (4 oz) chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Prep the pan with oil over medium heat. Once ready, add the onion and pierced serrano pepper. The immediate sound of sizzling let’s you know you’re on the right track. Once the onion and pepper start to look shiny and feel soft against your paddle, add the garlic. The aromatics will hit in about 20 seconds. Add the spices all at once and give it a little stir to coat the onion and garlic. Spread the onion mixture to the sides (create a well) and add the ground beef. Season with about ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper, to start. Break up and brown the beef for about 8 min. Add the bell pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes. Give it a couple good stirs, add the chicken broth, another ¼ tsp of salt (if you’d like), cover and let it simmer for about 12 - 15 min. Once you can pierce the potatoes with a fork all the way through, you are ready to grub!

This can be served in a shallow bowl on its own with some tortillas or accompanied with rice and beans. Drizzling some crema over the meat will also add some sparkle.

Cheers!