Omnivore’s Picadillo…

Pee-ca-DEE-yo! First of all, it’s just fun to say. Secondly, if I would’ve thought there was a way I could eat a version of the typically meat-centric Cuban cuisine back in my vegetarian days, I would have been beyond thrilled. So, years after I couldn’t eat another plate of black beans and yellow rice, I took to the kitchen…and my Omnivore’s Picadillo was born.

There are so many variations of picadillo: each Latin culture seems to have their own. That savory mixture of meat and veggies—typically served with rice—is a perfectly balanced meal in a bowl. Since I had a hankering for Cuban food, I based my rendition on their traditional ground meat, veggies, olives, and raisins in a zesty tomato sauce; it was just what I was pining for. This substantial, colorful dish hits all areas of your taste buds for an umami-packed flavorful combination of salty, briny, tangy and sweet. Throw some sautéed plantains—aka maduros—on the side and you’ve got dessert to go with it! (I always save my plantains for a sweet finish). Leftovers can easily be stuffed into biscuit or pie crust dough for empanadas—see note below.

Considering all of the regional variations of this dish, I am eager to try different adaptations with diced potatoes or hard-boiled egg, with squash, or a runny egg on top; suffice it to say that some version of picadillo could be made with items you may already have on hand.

Although I am back to eating an omnivorous diet, I still limit the amount of red meat I eat, so I prefer to make this recipe with either ground turkey or vegan crumbles. No matter the protein you choose, this is a simple, yet complex-tasting, hearty, one-pot meal that is perfect for busy nights; and leftovers are even better the next day. 

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OMNIVORE’S PICADILLO
This dish is flavor-packed and tastier the next day. If you are like me and hate eating the same thing twice, use the leftovers to make empanadas—see the Note below.

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken or ground vegan crumbles
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
2 Tablespoons olive brine
Water or vegetable stock, to thin
20 small pimento-stuffed olives, sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
Cooked white rice or yellow rice and black beans, for serving

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté 2 Tablespoons olive oil with the onion, pepper, and carrots. Sauté approximately 10 minutes, or until onion and carrots are soft. Add garlic cloves and sauté for one minute. Remove all veggies from pan.

Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and turkey or vegan ‘meat’ to pan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook meat until no longer pink or vegan meat is heated through. Drain fat from pan if using animal protein.

Place veggies back to pan, along with tomato paste, cumin, remaining salt and pepper. Once tomato paste and spices are evenly distributed, add olive brine and 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock. This should create a sauce that just coats the skillet ingredients. Add olives and raisins to heat through and soften. Add another 1/4 cup water or stock if mixture begins to dry out.

Serve over warm, cooked white rice or alongside black beans and yellow rice.

NOTE:
To make empanadas with leftover picadillo:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll one refrigerated pie crust onto a floured cutting board or countertop. Using a 4-inch inverted small bowl as a mold, cut circles out of dough and set aside. Gather pie crust scraps, roll out and cut as many circles as you can; you should get 12 per crust. Repeat with second pie crust if necessary.

Place 2 teaspoons of picadillo into the center of each circle. Gently fold over dough to cover filling, crimp edges with fork. Transfer empanadas to a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.

Beat one egg and a splash of heavy cream (or water) in a small bowl. Brush top surface of empanadas with egg mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time. Empanadas are done when they are golden brown.