Growing up in the panhandle of Texas back in the day I had several friends whose families made picadillo routinely at home; we ate it in tacos, in big bowls over rice on cold, blustery days, in tortilla wraps, and even stirred into scrambled eggs now and again.
With the official transition to astrological fall this week, it’s time to begin to rotate some tasty soups, stews, chiles, and picadillo onto the menu.
Picadillo (according to the experts and food historians) claims its roots in a number of latin American countries, though a Filipino residency mate argued that his version from back home was the very best. Being from the Southwest and unabashedly heavily biased toward Tex-Mex and the hodge-podge of culinary history that makes up Texas cuisine, I tend to think of the picadillo we’re used to enjoying as a dish originating in Mexico and other countries on further south.
Picadillo is one of those simple, almost peasant foods that varies from region to region and family to family, and the version below should as always be considered a simple framework to start from.
We’ve tweaked the version I remember from days in the Panhandle to make it more Primal and healthy eating friendly, easy changes like grass-fed ground beef, healthier oil, and sweet potatoes instead of the classic russet. We also think it’s immeasurably better with just a bit of dried ground ancho chile powder in the skillet, and my favorite dish from years ago was dressed up a little with the addition of a handful of peas (though you’ll see raisins in a number of recipes floating around out there as well.
Don’t forget a bit of chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and a spritz of fresh lime juice at bare minimum to finish this one off…
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
1-2 sweet potatoes of choice, peeled, 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, small dice
1 medium poblano, stemmed, seeded, small dice
2-3 plum tomatoes, cored, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped OR
1-2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1 and 1/2 tsp kosher salt or 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal salt
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp ground dried ancho pepper (optional)
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup peas, optional
To Finish
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and small stems
Sliced radishes
Diced fresh avocado
Crumbled cotija cheese (feta plays well too)
Fresh lime juice
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; now sauté the beef until browned but not fully cooked through (6-7 minutes). Remove the beef to a small bowl using a slotted spoon.
Back the heat down to medium, add the rest of the oil, and quickly sauté the potatoes until just beginning to brown (3-4 minutes); remove to a small plate and set aside.
Now add the onions, diced peppers, garlic, salt, cumin, and black and ancho peppers, stirring occasionally, and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to tenderize (4-5 minutes).
Add the beef (and any juices) back in, along with the stock and peas, and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the potatoes back in, stir to mix, and simmer another 5-7 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and simmer another 3-5 minutes.
You’ll know you’re there when the beef is fully cooked, the potatoes are just tender, and just about all of the liquid has evaporated off. Taste for salt and cumin, stir in the cilantro at service, and finish with whatever add-ons you have on hand.
Enjoy.
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