Subject: RECIPE: Picadillo (Seasoned Chopped Beef)
From: nlm@attunix (Nancy Mintz)
Date: 28 Nov 86 04:35:53 GMT
Newsgroups: mod.recipes

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.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE PICADILLO M "7 Aug 86" 1986
.RZ "PICADILLO" "Latin-American seasoned chopped beef"
I got this recipe from net.cooks in the fall of 1983.
It was posted by houxm!houxz!llf.
.PP
Picadillo is a great favorite throughout Latin America, and every country
has its own version.  In Mexico it is much appreciated as a filling for tacos,
empanadas, tamales, and green peppers.  In the north of the country it is 
popular on its own and is eaten as a main dish, accompanied by rice, beans,
guacamole, and tortillas.
.IH "serves 6"
.IG "3 Tbsp" "olive or vegetable oil" "50 ml"
.IG "2 lbs" "lean ground beef" "1 kg"
.IG "1" "large onion,"
finely chopped
.IG "1" "garlic clove,"
finely chopped
.IG "3" "medium tomatoes,"
peeled and chopped
.IG "2" "tart cooking apples,"
peeled, cored and chopped
.IG "1" "jalapeno chili,"
seeded and chopped (or more to taste).
.IG "\(12 cup" "raisins" "125 ml"
(soaked 10 minutes in warm water)
.IG "\(12 cup" "pimento-stuffed olives," "100 g"
cut in half crosswise
.IG "\(12 tsp" "oregano" "2.5 ml"
.IG "\(12 tsp" "thyme" "2.5 ml"
.IG "" "salt"
.IG "" "pepper"
.IG "1 Tbsp" "butter" "15 ml"
.IG "\(12 cup" "slivered almonds" "100 g"
.PH
.SK 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet.  Add the beef and saut\z\(aae until
it is lightly browned, stirring to break up any lumps.
.SK 2
Add the onion and garlic and saut\z\(aae for 5 minutes longer.
.SK 3
Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter and the almonds.  Mix well
and simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring from time to time, for 
20 minutes.
.SK 4
In a small skillet, heat the butter and saut\z\(aae the almonds until they are 
golden brown.
.SK 5
Mound the beef onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the almonds.
Surround it with a border of rice.
.NX
Variatons:  Instead of oregano and thyme, use a pinch or two of cinnamon and
ground cloves.  This makes an interesting difference in 
flavor, giving the dish an almost Middle Eastern taste.
.PP
In Chihuahua, the apple is left out and 4 medium potatoes, cooked
and cubed, and
.AB "2 cups" "300 g"
cooked green peas are added to the beef at the end of the
cooking time for just long enough to heat them through.  This makes a nice
one-dish meal.
.PP
Picadillo de la Costa from the state of Guerrero, best known for
the beach resort of Acapulco, uses the tropical fruits in which the region
abounds, and instead of beef uses an equal mixture of ground pork and veal.
The method is the same but the meats, with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, hot
peppers, salt, and pepper, are cooked, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Then add
.AB "1\(12 cups" "400 g"
pineapple chunks, 2 pears (peeled, cored, and cut in chunks) and 2 bananas
(peeled and sliced) are added and the mixture simmered for 15 minutes longer
over low heat.  Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.  This is a 
delicious summer dish, good with plain rice.
.PP
In addition to the almonds, I add fresh coriander leaves as a garnish.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
20 minutes preparation.
.I Precision:
approximate measurement OK.
.WR
Nancy Mintz
UNIX System Development Lab, AT&T-IS, Summit, NJ
ihnp4!attunix!nlm