The Recipe for a Mexican-Style Picadillo
The spanish "picadillo" group of mexican recipes refers to a family of dishes whose ingredients are finely chopped and then mixed together, in particular it refers to traditional recipes in many Latin American countries and the Philippines (where it is called giniling) made with ground meat which is usually beef, tomatoes and other ingredients that can vary from region to region. It is often served with rice or used as a filling for other recipes such as tacos or empanadas.
In Mexico, picadillos are usually made by adding onions and stirring in lime juice as it cooks, and sometimes the sauce is sweetened by adding sugar to the recipe; more recently we even see honey added in, instead of the sugar, resulting in a meal that almost reminds us of a teriyaki.
Mexican Recipe for Picadillo
Ingredients:
* 5 teaspoons of lard or butter
* 1 and 1/2 lb. ground beef,
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 4 tablespoons red wine or sherry
* 4 tablespoons lime juice or lemon
* 2 red tomatoes, peeled and chopped
* 3 serrano peppers, chopped
* 1/2 cup sliced green olives
* 3 tablespoons capers
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 2 large potatoes, diced
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted and crushed
* Salt (optional)
Preparation:
1) In a skillet melt half the lard or butter. Mix in the meat, onion and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the beef is golden brown on all sides. Reduce heat, add the wine or sherry and lime juice.
2) Simmer 5 minutes, add tomatoes, chiles, olives, capers and raisins. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 20 min.
3) In another pan, melt the remaining lard, add garlic and cumin. Cook, mixing constantly, until the potatoes are golden brown. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
4) The potatoes must be fully cooked; once they are add them to the meat and cook everything together over low heat 5 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning; if necessary, add salt or cumin. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with toasted almonds. Serve immediately, with some white rice...
