February 7th, 2012
Picadillo? Cuban Hash? Recipe, Easy, Affordable…Gluten Free
Picadillo is one of those easy recipes that can be so easily adapted to your own liking. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Don’t like raisins, or green olives, or capers, then leave them out, but you might be missing something. I hope you do like garlic, though, because is essential to Latin cooking.
I usually make this dish when I don’t know what else to cook; it is always different; but prettty tasty.
Picadillo is a Cuban style hash. Really, that’s all it is. The picture above is of the picadillo eaten by a friend the other day at Cabana’s located on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. I, of course, had their pollo asado, which was great.
Following is such an easy recipe, just serve the picadillo over rice; your choice. Plantains and a salad and you have a meal.
Picadillo (Cuban Hash)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup, green pepper, also chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (if you want more, you know what to do)
1 lb. ground beef
1 large tomato, chopped (use canned if you want to)
A little tomato sauce (to give it more of a sauce, use your judgement)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped green olives
a handful of raisins
salt and pepper to taste
In a large frying pan saute onion and green pepper in olive oil, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and ground beef.
Break down the beef and mix well with the onion and green pepper. Cook until it browns for about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and oregano. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the ingredients to slowly give that flavor to the beef.
Note: In Cuba black beans, in Puerto Rico, definitely red beans would accompany this dish. In a rush? Open the cans of beans, add a little tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil , bay leaf and cook slowly for about 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and that’s all that is to it!
This recipe is gluten free. Always make sure that if using canned products, you check the labels or call the manufacturer.
Serve and enjoy!! How easy was that?
Tags: Affordable recipe, Easy, Gluten Free, Latin Recipe, Picadillo, Recipe
