Picadillo Cubano (Cuban Ground Beef with Olives and Raisins)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Salty green olives and sweet raisins scattered through browned ground beef give this Cuban dish its push and pull of flavor.
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Cumin warms the beef, and crushed tomatoes reduce until they cling to the meat rather than pooling around it. Leaving the beef alone for a moment after it hits the pan lets it brown instead of turning gray and steamed.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Dice the 150 g onion and 120 g bell pepper small so they soften evenly.
Roughly chop the 60 g green olives, and separate any clumped raisins so they scatter through the sauce.
- 2
Heat a wide pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the onion and bell pepper, then cook for about 4 minutes until glossy, softened, and no longer raw smelling.
- 3
Raise the heat to high and spread the 500 g ground beef in one even layer.
Let it sear for 2 minutes before stirring, then break it up so it browns instead of steaming gray.
- 4
When the beef moisture has mostly evaporated, stir in 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin for 30 seconds.
Add the 300 g crushed tomatoes and scrape the browned bits from the pan bottom into the sauce.
- 5
Once the tomatoes bubble, reduce the heat to medium low and add the green olives and raisins.
Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and clings to the beef.
- 6
If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a small splash of water; if thin, simmer 1 minute longer.
Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot over rice, with bread, or in tacos.
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