Abuela's Cuban Picadillo

My Abuela's go-to recipe for a quick, easy and always delicious meal was her Cuban picadillo. Trying to get the recipe from my Abuela was a challenging one.  She was a beast in the kitchen and a super quick cook.  Let's just say, I had to chase her down the kitchen and observe her multiple times to get the recipe down to a tee.  I have now adopted this as my go-to or simply missing home dish.

"A good cook is a fast cook." - Aydee Alvarez (Abuela)

Ingredients

• 1lb Ground Beef (80/20)

• 1 Teaspoon Tomato Paste

• 1/8 Cup Tablespoon Tomato Sauce

• 1/2 Red Pepper

• 1/2 Green Pepper

• 1/2 Small Yellow Onion

• 6 Large Whole & Peeled Garlic Cloves

• 1-1/4 Teaspoon Goya Adobo Powder (Con Achiote)

• 1-1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

• 1-1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder

• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

• 2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Other

• Salt & Pepper to Taste

  
  
  
  
  
  Feeds: 2-4 People
  Prep & Cook Time: 20-30 mins
  Serve w/: On top of white rice & sliced avocado or side salad
  Low/No Carb Tip: Substitute rice for cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash.
  Optional: This recipe could easily be added as a filling to a quesadilla the next day. Check out Jax'tina Quesadilla.
  
  
  
  

Directions

1. Dice red pepper, green pepper, and onion. Set aside.
   (Trick: Start your rice in the rice cooker or stove while you are prepping.)
   
   

2. Take your whole & peeled garlic cloves and smash until flat and slight paste consistency. Set half of the garlic aside.
   (Trick: Mash garlic with the side of knife, garlic press, or pilón.)
   
   

3. Heat a Non-Stick pan on Medium-High heat and add oil. When the pan is hot, add small diced veggies until starting to soften, then add half of the garlic, and a dash of salt. Sauté garlic until you start smelling the garlic aroma.
   
   

4. Add ground beef to the pan and use a cooking spoon to lightly break apart sirloin in order to brown. Lightly sprinkle salt and few cracks of pepper to the meat.
   
   

5. Add 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Adobo powder, cumin,Tomato Paste and Tomato Sauce to partially browned meat.
   
   

6. Continue to brown ground beef. Add the rest of the garlic to the meat. Sauté for another 3 minutes to incorporate the garlic.
   (Tip: This is the point if you want to add a pinch more salt or dash more of seasoning to the meat. I usually add the rest of the 1/4 teaspoon of the garlic, onion, & Goya powder, with a dash more of cumin powder to enhance the Latin flavor.)
   
   

7. When the meat is cooked through, you're ready to eat! Remove from heat, serve with rice and sliced avocado. ¡Buen Provecho!