ECUADORIAN PICADILLO
it’s so easy, even Jake can manage it.
Picadillo is basically chili—but no beans. The key ingredient is a variety of amazing peppers. They add spice and sweetness and flavor. There’s nothing like it.
The method appears below. Enjoy the video!
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs ground beef / bison — the leaner the better
2 tb fresh garlic
3 tsp salt
3 tsp black pepper
2 tb ground cumin — more won’t hurt if you love cumin
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can peeled whole tomatoes
1 large bottle dark beer (coffee stout is ideal)
1 sweet white onion
4 fresh jalapeño peppers
2-3 fresh anaheim chiles
4-6 fresh serrano peppers
3-4 large yellow / red bell peppers
traditionally picadillos from all over Latin America will have other ingredients: raisins, potatoes, carrots and other cow food, even squirrels and crickets (just kidding… mostly… Jake hates all that stuff… for him this is about ground beef / bison and peppers)
Other peppers are of course permissible. Habaneros will make it hotter. I usually use more pepper, not less.
METHOD
Cook & crumble the ground beef / bison
Mince the onion and garlic; sear with olive oil
Mince the peppers (do not just chop—small pieces!); sear with olive oil
In a pot, add onion and garlic, as well as beer and seasonings (cumin, salt, black pepper), to the beef / bison; bring to a boil… I do not strain my meat because it is already quite lean
Mince the peppers and the onion
Once boiling add tomatoes, tomato paste
Once boiling, add peppers
Once boiling, simmer for up to 4 hours until the colors of the peppers is no longer discernable
Recommend cooling in the refrigerator and eating the next day—it’s amazing. Also, you can freeze it. Serve with crema and tortillas (Jake recommends no cheese but Cotija would be all right).
it’s delicious!