There are many versions of picadillo out there in the world as a result of Spanish colonization. This is the one that my wife cooks at home, that she learned from her mom. It's a family favorite, our middle child eats it breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it's all gone. Thanks to Christine for cooking this and providing this week's recipe. It's a simple recipe so it tastes best with fresh, in-season, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- water or stock
- some vegetable oil
- Heat a heavy bottom pan (cast iron, dutch oven, something like that) over medium high heat with a little bit of oil until it just starts to smoke.
- Add the ground beef, spread out to cover the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and leave it alone. You want it to brown really well, and if you stir it around it won't get a chance to do that.
- Once the beef has turned a good dark brown on the bottom you can stir it around to brown some more.
- Remove the beef from the pan and leave the fat. Saute the onion and the garlic in the fat left behind in the pan.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to break down.
- Return the beef to the pan, add the potatoes, stir everything together.
- Add enough water or stock to cover the ingredients and simmer until the potatoes are soft. It should finish a little soupy.
- Season with fish sauce to taste.
- Serve over steamed jasmine rice.
Enjoy
-Matt
