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sergiogomez

Feb 5, 2009, 10:21 AM

Post #1 of 4 (2149 views)

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Speaking of picadillo

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Some of the other posts got me thinking about picadillo the other day. Since I didn't have any ground beef, I made something similar with the ingredients I had. You couldn't quite call it picadillo, but it tastes great and makes the house smell terrific. The things that are born when what's in your fridge don't match what's in the recipe book! Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try it.

Pork, ground or the cut of your choice, diced, 1/2 to 1 lb
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper, optional
4-5 roma tomatoes or equivalent, more if you want
1/2 onion
1 chile ancho, soaked in hot water with a little each of salt, brown sugar, and vinegar
Cinnamon, a few shreds pulled off a stick
Oregano
Salt to taste

Brown or stir-fry pork in a generous amount of fat, with the garlic and pepper, if you are using it. When cooked through, remove from pan. In the same pan, saute tomatoes and onion until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add cinnamon and chile and fry another 2-3 minutes. Dump everything from the pan in the blender and puree until smooth, adding some of the chile water if necessary. Return puree to pan, season with oregano and salt, and fry for a minute or two. Add pork, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer at least 15 minutes. Serve with whatever you want. I like fried potatoes and whole wheat pita bread.

esperanza

Feb 5, 2009, 10:49 AM

Post #2 of 4 (2146 views)

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Re: [sergiogomez] Speaking of picadillo

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Olivia, this sounds really easy and really fast, two GREAT things when you want to be in and out of the kitchen!

Thanks for posting.

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Carron

Feb 5, 2009, 12:02 PM

Post #3 of 4 (2143 views)

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Re: [sergiogomez] Speaking of picadillo

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Well, here goes mine:

2 T. Lard (Have I lost you yet????)
1 Lb. more or less ground meat, probably more

2 raw potatoes, thin-skinned, unpeeled and chopped

1 Large White Onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can Rotel-type diced tomatoes and green chiles, with liquid (substitue fresh green chiles and canned Roma tomatoes)
Chopped green salad olives with pimentos, the cheapest kind, drained (optional)

1 or 2 small cans tomato sauce
1 c. water or broth
Pinch of sugar
Packet of Taco-type seasonings (optional)
Splash of Worchestershire

In a heavy stove top casserole, with lid, heat the lard or other oil of your choice. Brown the meat well, at least past the grey stage recommended for Texas chili. Remove with slotted spoon. In same lard toss potatoes until golden. Remove and add to meat. Then saute onions and garlic, adding a little more lard if necessary to prevent sticking. (If you are using fresh chiles such as jalapenos or serranos, chop and add at this time.) Leaving the veggies in the pot, add the can of tomatoes. Stir until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Return meat and potatoes to the pot. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Take the lid back off and continue cooking and stirring until the consistency you want.

When I do not plan to make Bolognese sauce for pasta the next day, I use a heavier hand with the Mexican seasonings such as comino, cilantro, oregano, powdered chiles, etc. To accommodate our high blood pressure, I do not add salt to our foods. Add some to your taste. A big spoonful of the picadillo in a warm corn tortilla is heavenly.

For the leftover spaghetti sauce the next day, I add a can of cooked tomatoes, broken up, and more tomato sauce. Sprinkle in some Italian seasonings, heat til flavors are well blended. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

esperanza

Feb 5, 2009, 12:22 PM

Post #4 of 4 (2139 views)

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Re: [Carron] Speaking of picadillo

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That sounds great, Carron--a new take on an old favorite. Here's mine:

PICADILLO ESTILO CRISTINA

To Prepare the Meat
2 pounds beef brisket or other beef (pecho or suadero are what I use in Mexico) or 1 pound beef and 1 pound pork butt
1 small white onion, quartered
2 large cloves garlic
1 or 2 chiles serrano, split from the tip to near the stem end
1 Mexican bay leaf
1 Tbsp sal de grano (sea salt)

Cut the meat into large chunks, removing any excess fat. Place the meat into a large Dutch oven with the onion, garlic, chiles, bay leaf, and salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that collects on the surface. Lower the heat and allow the water to simmer about 45 minutes, until the meat is just tender. Take the pot off the stove and let the meat cool in the broth. Remove the pieces of meat and finely shred them. Reserve the broth.
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To Prepare the Picadillo

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil or lard (I prefer lard)
1 large white onion, diced
2 chiles serrano, minced (or more, if you have a good tolerance for picante)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
tiny pinch ground cloves
2 Mexican bay leaves
3 heaping Tbsps raisins
3 Tbsp sliced green olives
2 carrots, small diced
1 fresh ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear, peeled and diced
1 large tart apple, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced (sometimes I use 2 potatoes)
3 large, very ripe tomatoes, rough chopped
2 tsp Knorr Suiza tomato consomé powder (heresy, but I like the concentrated tomato flavor)

Warm the oil in a large, heavy skillet and sauté the onion, chiles, and garlic over medium heat until they turn a pale gold. Stir in the shredded meat and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, and cloves, then, stir in the raisins. Add the chopped pear, apple, carrot, olives, and potato, and mix well. Add the tomatoes and Knorr Suiza and continue cooking over medium-high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir often so that the mixture doesn't stick. Add reserved broth if the mixture becomes too dry as it cooks. Let cool, cover, and set aside. The picadillo may be made a day in advance and allowed to rest, refrigerated, so that the flavors blend completely.
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I usually serve this picadillo with morisqueta (steamed white rice), refried beans, and fried plátano macho con crema de mesa. A meal fit for the gods...

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