Picadillo is known as the “poor man’s meal”. It is a pork and ground beef hash which is a combination of savory and sweet thanks to the inclusion of raisins, olives, capers, peas, and potatoes. Served over a bed of rice and often with a side of fried ripe plantains, it’s a perfect meal for lunch or dinner. It never occurred to me that leftovers would also be great at breakfast until I took a trip to Miami a few years ago and went to the breakfast buffet at La Carreta on NW107 Ave. If you actually happen to have any leftovers, and don’t have it for breakfast, the meat and rice also makes a great filling for empanadas. This is an adaptation of both my mother’s and stepmother’s recipes. This is one of several dishes that is served “a caballo”, or, on horseback, which translates into “put a fried egg on top”.
If you have any questions or comments, let me know!
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork or ham
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 c sweet peas
- 1 small can of tomato sauce(8oz)
- 1/3 c dry white cooking wine
- *3 small white potatoes, diced and fried in advance.
- *1 small box of raisins(the small snack box)
- *5-6 pimento stuffed olives, whole or a 1/4 c sliced green olives with pimentos
- Mince the onion, garlic, and green pepper and saute them with the olive oil in a 2 quart pot.
- After 5 minutes, add the ground pork and beef to the pot and brown the meats, stirring frequently to avoid it sticking to the bottom.
- When the meat has browned, add the capers, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and cooking wine to the pot, plus an additional 1/4 c of water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, fry up the diced potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Add 1/2 a small can of sweet peas to the meat, including the liquid from the can. Add the olives with a drizzle of the olive brine and add the potatoes to the pot and simmer over low heat another 10 minutes.
- Serve over white rice and top with a fried egg.
- *Notes: The potatoes, raisins, and olives are optional, but they add the most amazing flavor to the dish that it should be criminal to omit them.