Lately, I have really been missing home. For instance, I miss being able to take a five minute drive to my parents’ house to have some of my mom’s most delicious home cooking, especially her picadillo. Meanwhile, being here in Kentucky has sure offered me the ultimate culture shock. Moreso, for me, if I want Cuban food, I need to make it. Sadly there aren’t any Cuban restaurants anywhere around here.
I really look up to my mom…she has always cooked every single day of my life and everyday even before that. We always had the best of the best Cuban food growing up…one day it could be picadillo, another it would be carne asada, the next boliche, with ice cream and or her homemade flan after dinner…the endless list goes on, and on, and on! 🙂
I wanted a piece of home ever so badly tonight. So deeply, I wanted a taste to call me back to where my roots are so firmly planted. Here is that meal that takes me there and will hopefully take you to my parents’ house…well not literally…at least not unannounced! LOL!
This picadillo paired with black beans, tostones, and rice is just what I needed. The distance might divide us for now, but this meal brought me closer to my mom, for now. All in all, this blog post is dedicated to her.
Picadillo
Ingredients
* 1.5 cups diced onion
* 1 cup seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper
* Olive oil for sautéing
* 8 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds ground beef or ground round
* 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1.5 teaspoons oregano
*2 tbsp onion powder
*1 tbsp garlic powder
*1/2 cup chopped green olives
* 1/3 cup raisins (optional)
* Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare
1. First, sauté onion with one tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Stir for about 5 minutes or until all of the liquid from the onions has evaporated and the onions are translucent.
2. Next, add the garlic and cook for about one more minute. Stir in the green peppers and cook for five more minutes.
4. After that, add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, onion and garlic powders, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Then, add in the ground beef and cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir on occasion to ensure that the ground beef doesn’t get hard and clumpy. I like my picadillo mushier than usual.
6. If adding, add the olives and raisins if adding and simmer 5 minutes longer.
7. In addition, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Finally, serve hot over white rice; include fresh Tostones—Fried Green Plantain for a special treat that will undoubtedly engender the gratitude of small children!
