Picadillo
This is a recipe I made from Cook's Illustrated. It is the best home recipe I have been able to find that comes very close to the picadillo at my favorite Argentinian restaurant. I also like to make empanadas and use it as a filling.
This is a recipe I made from Cook's Illustrated. It is the best home recipe I have been able to find that comes very close to the picadillo at my favorite Argentinian restaurant. I also like to make empanadas and use it as a filling.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoon water
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, cut into 2-in pieces
- 1 onion halved, cut into 2-in pieces
- 1 14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes drained and chopped coarse
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives chopped coarse
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
- Carbohydrate 22.0427790003833 g
- Cholesterol 141.9731293 mg
- Fat 43.4312586143622 g
- Fiber 3.50297146850251 g
- Protein 31.6938247139221 g
- Saturated Fat 18.1680580405092 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (371g)
- Sodium 727.624589216808 mg
- Sugar 18.5398075318808 g
- Trans Fat 3.35689103240455 g
- Calories 619 calories
Step-by-step
- Toss beef and pork with water, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes. Pulse bell pepper and onion in food processor until chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 12 pulses.
- Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped vegetables, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until pot is almost dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, and bay leaves and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add meat mixture in 2-inch chunks to pot, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally with 2 forks to break meat chunks into 1/4- to 1/2 inch pieces, until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats meat, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Tossing ground beef and pork with baking soda twenty minutes prior to browning fundamentally alters the protein structure, yielding a tender texture that withstands long braising without toughening. This technique of alkaline tenderization creates a moisture barrier, retaining juiciness while the meat simmers inside a heavy Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Fresh aromatics like bell peppers and onions provide an herbaceous structural base, but the profound depth of the dish relies entirely on preserved ingredients introduced later in the cooking process. Rinsed capers and pimiento-stuffed olives contribute sharp salinity and lactic acid tang, counterbalancing the natural sweetness of rehydrated raisins. When dry white wine reduces completely alongside crushed tomatoes during the initial simmering phase, alcohol evaporates to leave behind concentrated fruit acids that brighten the heavy pork and beef blend. Spooning this savory mixture into empanada pastry crusts requires thorough cooling beforehand to prevent the high fat content from melting the dough prematurely, whereas serving it directly over steamed white rice offers a neutral starch sponge that absorbs excess spiced pan juices.
