Classic Cuban Picadillo Recipe

If you're a fan of hash, then you'll be a fan of this classic Cuban picadillo recipe. In fact, picadillo translates to "hash" in Spanish. But don't expect this recipe to taste like the basic corned beef hash your grandma used to make. This Cuban version is filled with Latin spices and flavors, along with a few unexpected ingredients that make it stand out. "The special ingredients are the wine, capers, and olives," says recipe developer Deniz Vergara of Gourmet Mami. "My favorite part is the little salty bites you get from the olives and capers." 

But arguably, the best part of the recipe is how quick and easy it is to make. In just 25 minutes, you'll have a delicious and robust dinner on the table, ready to serve a family of four. Just serve it up with rice, fried plantains, or a nice green salad, and the whole family will be full and satisfied in no time. 

To get started, take an inventory of what you've got in your kitchen. Then, head to the store to purchase anything that's missing. You'll need ground beef, olive oil, a yellow onion, red pepper, garlic cloves, cumin, sea salt, dry white wine, sliced green olives stuffed with pimentos, capers, tomato sauce, and chopped cilantro. That said, if you're someone who can't handle cilantro, it's just used for garnish, so you can skip it if desired.

With all your ingredients ready to go, your first task is something you're probably familiar with: browning the beef. Fire up a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the beef, making sure you cook it through until there's no pink left in the meat. Drain off the grease before transferring the beef to a separate bowl. Set it aside.

Using the same pan (no need to clean it first), heat up the olive oil over medium-low heat and cook the diced onion before adding the red pepper and garlic. "Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, until they are translucent, and then the peppers and garlic for another 1-2 minutes," says Vergara. The pepper and garlic should just be turning golden when you move to the next step. 

Take the bowl of cooked ground beef and add it back to the skillet with the onion and pepper. Season the meat with the salt and cumin, stirring until well combined. Pour the wine into the skillet, and allow the whole picadillo to cook until the liquid has reduced by about half, which should take about 3-5 minutes. "Pinot grigio is what I typically use, but sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are good, too," says Vergara. Just don't sub out the white wine for red — Vergara says that picadillo is made only with white wine. 

The final steps are easy ones — just add the tomato sauce to the skillet and let everything simmer for 10 minutes before adding the olives and capers. Let it all simmer again for another 5 minutes. And if you want, you can add one other ingredient with this last step, too. "Some people add raisins so you get the combination of sweet and salty," Vergara says. So if you're itching to try something new, throw a few raisins into the mix and see how you like it.

When the picadillo has finished simmering, it's ready to be served hot. As Vergara suggested, it goes great with rice, and the addition of plantains and salad can help round out the meal. It also keeps well, so if you want leftovers, consider doubling the recipe and storing some of it for lunches throughout the week. "You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days. I reheat it in the microwave, but you can reheat it on your stovetop as well," Vergara says.