Description
Picadillo con papa brings Cuban comfort right to your kitchen, blending ground beef, potatoes, and aromatic spices into a hearty one-pot wonder. Simmered with olives and raisins, this classic dish offers a delicious taste of home that’ll warm your heart and satisfy your hunger.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound ground chuck or sirloin
Vegetables:
- 1 medium russet potato
- 1 cup onion
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1–2 serrano chiles
Seasonings and Liquids:
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet at medium temperature. Add 240 grams of finely diced Russet potatoes, ensuring they’re spread evenly. Cover the pan to help potatoes cook faster and develop crispy edges.
- Transfer crispy potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe the skillet clean for the next stage.
- Place the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound of ground chuck, sprinkling ¾ teaspoon each of salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cumin. Cook the meat for 8-10 minutes until it browns thoroughly.
- Incorporate 16 grams of minced garlic and 200 grams of diced onions into the meat. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent.
- Blend 288 grams of chopped Roma tomatoes, 25 grams of serrano chiles, and ¼ cup water in a blender until smooth. Pour this sauce into the meat mixture.
- Bring the meat and sauce to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Carefully fold the reserved crispy potatoes back into the skillet. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Notes
- Potato selection matters, so choose starchy varieties like Russet or Yukon Gold that crisp beautifully and hold their shape during cooking.
- Draining excess beef fat ensures a cleaner, more concentrated flavor profile in your picadillo.
- When blending salsa, strain through a fine-mesh sieve if smoother texture is preferred, removing any potential seed fragments.
- For a lower-carb version, swap potatoes with diced cauliflower or zucchini, maintaining similar cooking techniques.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-24 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 416 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 307 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg