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Recipe for "picadillo"

NAME

     PICADILLO - Latin-American seasoned chopped beef
     I got this recipe from net.cooks in the fall  of  1983.   It
     was posted by houxm!houxz!llf.
     Picadillo is a great favorite throughout Latin America,  and
     every  country  has  its  own version.  In Mexico it is much
     appreciated as a filling for tacos, empanadas, tamales,  and
     green peppers.  In the north of the country it is popular on
     its own and is eaten as a main dish,  accompanied  by  rice,
     beans, guacamole, and tortillas.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

     50 ml     olive or vegetable oil
     1 kg      lean ground beef
     1         large onion, finely chopped
     1         garlic clove, finely chopped
     3         medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
     2         tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
     1         jalapeno chili, seeded and  chopped  (or  more  to
               taste).
     125 ml    raisins (soaked 10 minutes in warm water)
     100 g     pimento-stuffed olives, cut in half crosswise
     2.5 ml    oregano
     2.5 ml    thyme
               salt
               pepper
     15 ml     butter
     100 g     slivered almonds

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet.   Add  the
               beef  and saute until it is lightly browned, stir-
               ring to break up any lumps.
          (2)  Add the onion and garlic and saute for  5  minutes
               longer.
          (3)  Add  all  the  remaining  ingredients  except  the
               butter  and  the  almonds.   Mix  well and simmer,
               uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring from  time
               to time, for 20 minutes.
          (4)  In a small skillet, heat the butter and saute  the
               almonds until they are golden brown.
          (5)  Mound the beef onto a serving platter and sprinkle
               with  the  almonds.   Surround it with a border of
               rice.

NOTES

     Variatons:  Instead of oregano and thyme, use a pinch or two
     of  cinnamon  and  ground cloves.  This makes an interesting
     difference in flavor,  giving  the  dish  an  almost  Middle
     Eastern taste.
     In Chihuahua, the apple is left out and 4  medium  potatoes,
     cooked  and  cubed, and 300 g cooked green peas are added to
     the beef at the end of the cooking time for just long enough
     to heat them through.  This makes a nice one-dish meal.
     Picadillo de la Costa from the state of Guerrero, best known
     for  the  beach resort of Acapulco, uses the tropical fruits
     in which the region abounds, and instead  of  beef  uses  an
     equal  mixture  of  ground pork and veal.  The method is the
     same but the meats, with the onion,  garlic,  tomatoes,  hot
     peppers,  salt,  and  pepper,  are cooked, uncovered, for 15
     minutes.  Then add 400 g pineapple chunks, 2 pears  (peeled,
     cored,  and cut in chunks) and 2 bananas (peeled and sliced)
     are added and the mixture simmered  for  15  minutes  longer
     over  low  heat.  Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.
     This is a delicious summer dish, good with plain rice.
     In addition to the almonds, I add fresh coriander leaves  as
     a garnish.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy.  Time: 20 minutes preparation.  Precision:
     approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Nancy Mintz
     UNIX System Development Lab, AT&T-IS, Summit, NJ
     ihnp4!attunix!nlm