Picadillo by Request

My stepdaughter turns 14 (14!!) on Tuesday, and since I’ve known her since she was 2 that makes me feel old all the sudden.  With her birthday falling in the middle of the week, we celebrated it with her this weekend.  I told her she could decide tonight’s dinner, as the birthday girl, and was bracing myself, having no idea what she’d pick.  Visions of something complicated or expensive or lengthy filled my head as I waited to hear her choice.  Picadillo.  I was surprised, though The Husband wasn’t (and, to his credit, predicted as much).  Her mom makes her Picadillo, as does The Husband, so I was expecting her to choose something that she doesn’t get a chance to eat that often.  I even gave her the night to sleep on it … secretly hoping she’d change her mind for something more adventurous.  But no, Picadillo it was.  In the grand scheme of things, I lucked out because Picadillo (a Cuban beef hash of sorts) is certainly simple enough to make.

Now being a Cuban dish, usually The Husband would take over and make it, but I beat him into the kitchen and started working on it while they were out.  The Husband’s go-to Cuban cookbook is Memories of a Cuban Kitchen.  He’s turned to the page for Picadillo so many times that the book opens right to it, complete with tomato splatters top to bottom.  That being said, he doesn’t follow the recipe exactly, and uses it more as a guideline.  He skips the raisins, and the fried potatoes, and the sherry, and sometimes the green pepper.  It’s safe to say he skips enough that when he makes it, it is his own recipe.  This was my big opportunity to make the recipe as written, and see how the authors meant for it to taste.

With Madeline happily ensconced in the kitchen swing, I set to work, the smell of onions and garlic quickly filling the air.  Forty-five minutes later, dinner was done.   I think I prefer the cookbook version slightly more than The Husband’s wing-it version, but the end result is certainly in the same ballpark.  No matter, the birthday girl was happy, and that is what tonight was about.  Happy Birthday!

Picadillo (Cuban Beef Hash) from Memories of a Cuban Kitchen
From the author: The spicy aroma and sweet accents of this delicious dish magically evoke childhood adventures at my grandmother’s cattle ranch. This is a perfect dish for feeding a large group because it can be made days ahead and its flavor will improve and mellow as it waits. (My brother Tony and I add a little Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce to the classic recipe, for an even tastier dish).

1/4 cup pure Spanish olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef, chuck or rump
1/4 cup dry sherry (I used a red Spanish wine I had on hand instead)
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes or prepared tomato sauce
1 T salt
1 T Worcestershire sauce, optional
1/2 t Tabasco sauce, optional
1 small all-purpose potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (may be cut in halves), drained
1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil

For the garnish:
1 large egg, hard-boiled and finely chopped
1/2 cup drained canned early sweet peas
1 pimiento, chopped

In a pan, heat the oil over low heat until fragrant, then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until brown, 10-15 minutes, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the sherry, tomatoes, salt, Worcestershire and Tabasco, stir and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, then fry the chopped potato until golden, 10 minutes. (If you prefer not to fry the potato, boil it over medium-high heat, unpeeled and halved, in salted water to cover until tender, 20 minutes, and omit the vegetable oil). Add the potato, raisins, and olives to the meat, correct the seasonings and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the picadillo to a large bowl or platter, place the chopped egg in the center, outline the border with peas, and sprinkle the entire dish with the pimiento.

4-6 servings

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