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4.8 from 3,342 votes

Cuban beef picadillo

Cuban beef picadillo is a traditional dish made with ground beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, cumin, bell peppers, white wine, tomato sauce, raisins, olives and capers.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6
Course: Side Dish , Main Course
Cuisine: South American , Cuban , Caribbean

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 medium large yellow onion diced
  • 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • ½ bell pepper diced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 3 small potatoes peeled and cut in small pieces
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup whole green olives stuffed w/ pimentos
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup capers drained
  • 16 ounces of tomato sauce 2 8 oz cans
  • salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
  • Latin style white rice
  • Fried ripe plantains
  • Tomato and onion curtido

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium-size frying pan, brown the ground beef with a dash of cumin and pepper, drain off any excess grease, and set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbs of olive oil over med-low heat and cook the diced onion until soft
  3. Add the chopped garlic and cook until almost golden.
  4. Mix in the bell pepper, cumin, pepper and a little salt – not too much as the olives and capers are salty.
  5. Add the potatoes pieces and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the ground beef and the wine, let the liquid reduce.
  7. Add raisins and tomato sauce when the potatoes are about half-cooked (a knife can easily through the first part but the center is still very firm).
  8. Cook for 5 more minutes and then add the olives and capers.
  9. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are ready. If the sauce thickens too much, you can add some more wine or a little bit of water. Taste and adjust any seasonings: salt, pepper, cumin or additional olives/capers.
  10. Serve with rice, fried ripe plantains and a small salad.

Notes

  • You can also use ground chicken or turkey in place of the ground beef.