Kitchen Secrets with Our Cuban Chef – Picadillo a la Habanera
Picadillo a la habanera, habanero, or Cubano is a typical Cuban dish, whose main ingredient is minced beef seasoned with vegetables and condiments. There is no single recipe because every household cooks it differently. It generally includes diced and fried potatoes, onion, garlic, red and green bell pepper. Depending on the cook, whole or pureed tomatoes are added. This preparation’s particular flavor is given by adding capers and olives, the sweet taste of raisins, and the nuances of wine and spices. Sometimes chili peppers are added to add a spicy touch. It is served with tostones, salad, beans, and/or white rice as a garnish. A similar dish is picadillo a la criolla, which differs in that it includes creole sauce and a fried egg.
Picadillo, the name is given on the island to minced meat (which can itself be a dish), originated among the humble classes during the colonial era, particularly in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One of the first mentions of “picadillo habanero” is found in the cookbook Carmencita or La buena cocinera (1899), by Puerto Rican Eladia Martorell. Chopping or grinding the meat was a solution for those families who did not have access to more noble parts of the beef, which is why this dish was considered for a long time to be a “kitchen of use”. The leftover picadillo is reused to make stuffed potatoes.
Today, picadillo a la habanera is considered one of the flagship dishes of Cuban gastronomy, and particularly of Havana, since we are very fond of this food, firstly, for its pleasant taste, then for being an easy-to-prepare protein and also because it is mixed with sauces, something that is very deeply rooted in our idiosyncrasy. We love meals with abundant spices. It is served with white rice, a seasonal salad, and fried ripe plantains.
Picadillo a la habanera is usually made with beef, although sometimes it is mixed with a little bit of pork picadillo to make it juicier. It is a delicious dish, and to tempt you, nothing better than to show you this picadillo recipe, one of the most common on any Cuban table.
HOW IS PICADILLO A LA HABANERA MADE?
Ingredients:
- 500 g of picadillo (ground veal)
- 60 ml red wine (can be white or dry)
- 150 g tomato puree
- ½ red or green bell pepper
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 potato
- olives (quantity to taste)
- 1 handful of raisins
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil
SO HOW TO PREPARE PICADILLO A LA HABANERA?
- The first step we will do is to prepare all the ingredients so that when it is time to mix them is much faster, for this we peel and cut them into small cubes of potato and introduce it for a few minutes in salted water.
- Then we crush the garlic and finely chop the onion and the bell pepper.
- Drain the potato pieces well, then fry them in a little oil, remove and leave them on kitchen paper to drain the excess fat.
- The next thing to do is to fry the garlic, onion, and bell pepper until the onions are transparent, taking care not to burn the garlic because it can give a bitter taste if this happens.
- Then add the minced meat with a pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 to 8 minutes while breaking up any lumps of meat if necessary.
- When the minced meat is partially browned, add the wine and immediately increase the heat to evaporate.
- Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, cumin, and oregano, mix well, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened, but not too much.
- Finally, add the chopped olives, raisins, potatoes, and pepper, add salt, stir well, cover, and remove from heat.
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