Fun with Ground Beef: A Cuban-Style Picadillo

Olive oil

• 2 cups Spanish onions, coarsely chopped

• 1 cup bell pepper, diced

• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup Spanish chorizo, diced small

• 2 lbs. ground chuck

• 3-4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes, diced

• 3-4 fresh bay leaves

• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin

• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped

• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

• 1/8 tsp. allspice

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed spanish olives, chopped

• 1/4 cup capers

Directions

Coat the bottom of a heated large heavy saute pan with olive oil and fry the onions and bell pepper in the oil until they begin to soften.

Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Stir in the chorizo and ground chuck, breaking up the ground meat with a fork.

Cook until the meat is well-browned, then spoon off some of the excess fat.

Add the vinegar, tomatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, cloves, and allspice. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes.

Uncover, add the raisins olives and capers, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve by itself or accompanied by white rice.

Note: For this recipe, I used Spanish chorizo, which is a dried sausage similar in texture to salami or andouille. Andouille might be a good substitute if you can't get Spanish chorizo, though I haven't tried that. Some versions of Cuban picadillo incorporate ham and ground pork, rather than dried sausage.

Full printable recipe at http://ift.tt/1PZj9wB

bon appetit