Classic But Not Very Classy

Having received three Cuban cookbooks as part of my birthday present I just had to get cooking straight away.  

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries; it’s made with minced meat, tomatoes, and regional ingredients. The Cuban version includes olives and on occasion capers, omits chili powder, and is usually served with black beans and rice.

I was always under the impression that picadillio was the national dish of Cuba but I was wrong, it is actually rice and beans.  Something for me to try another night, as I didn’t have the ingredients to hand to cook black beans  today.

To try bring a little tradition to the meal, albeit in a rather unconventional way  I add a tin of kidney beans to the picadillo.  I found this very tasty and a good way of bulking out the dish without adding extra minced beef.  I do prefer to add extra vegetables or pulses to a meal than meat as they are easier to digest and better for you.

The picadillo was very gently spiced and fragrant, not at all spicy which I found surprising as I imagined cuban food to have a bit of kick to it, in a similar way to Mexican food, but wonderfully delicious, warming and comforting all the same. Cuban nursery food at its best I reckon.

As Jorge states in the book Picadillo will never be considered a gourmet dish but it should be, classic dishes like this should be celebrated not pushed to the back of the queue as they often are.

I served the picadillo with a little sour cream and plain boiled long grain white rice on the side. I don’t really think the sour cream was essential especially because of the lack of chili in the meal, but it added a nice dimension but then again I think I’d put sour cream on most things

The recipe I used came from Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban (Glenn M. Lindgren, Raul Musibay & Jorge Castillo) which is a fantastic insight into Cuban food capturing the essence and spirit of Cuban cuisine.  

The Recipe (Serves 6):

• 2 cups diced onion
• 2 cups seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper
• Olive oil to sauté
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds ground beef or ground round
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives
• 1/3 cup raisins
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil in a large casserole dish.
2. Sauté about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened, then add the garlic and ground beef.
3. Mash the onion and green pepper into the sautéing meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, olives and raisins.
5. Cover and let simmer in the crockpot for an hour or two or more. The longer it simmers, the better the flavour, and it’s also great warmed up later as the flavours intensify.
6. Salt and pepper to taste. 

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