START TO FINISH: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Picadillo—a ground beef dish popular in Cuba, the Caribbean and Latin America—combines tangy, sweet and salty flavors. There are many variations, but the essentials are a stew of ground meat and tomatoes with raisins for sweetness and chopped olives for a balancing touch of brine. For an optional, finishing touch, chopped hard-cooked egg makes an attractive and delicious garnish. Serve the picadillo with white rice or fried potatoes or on a mound of french fries. Or serve with a stack of warm corn tortillas and use it as a taco filling.
Don’t use 80 or 85 percent lean ground beef or the picadillo may end up slick and greasy.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
½ cup raisins, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, roughly chopped, plus 3 tablespoons olive brine
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and finely chopped
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the raisins, cumin, oregano, tomato paste and 1½ teaspoons salt, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ¾ cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated, 7 to 9 minutes.
Stir in the olives and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in the brine, cilantro and tomatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.