say it with me.

picadillo.  picadillo.  fun to say, even better to eat.  if you haven’t had it before, the combination of briny olives, sweet raisins & cinnamon may sound a bit strange but trust me – it will make you smile.  i don’t remember eating picadillo when i lived in cuba though it is certainly eaten in cuba, served over rice.  in parts of central & south america it comes in an empanada & in mexico, the meat-olive-raisin combination serves as a filling for tamales.  it is delicious.  the recipe below makes quite a bit though in my house it didn’t last long.  the recipe can easily be halved.

picadillo (serves 8)
¼ C olive oil
2 C onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 lbs. ground beef (15 – 20% fat)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. gound cloves
¼ tsp. chili flakes
¾ C raisins
1 C pimento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
½ C slivered almonds

heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  add onion, garlic & bay leaves & sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  add beef & sauté until cooked, breaking up with back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.  add all remaining ingredients & simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until picadillo has thickened. season to taste with salt & pepper.  discard bay leaves & stir in almonds.  serve picadillo warm over rice.