CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

By popular request, I am posting the "PICADILLO" recipe so that those who want to make "empanadas" can make the delicious stuff that goes inside, hence the "picadillo - Cuban style!"

Ingredients:

*Make sure to have Extra Virgina Olive Oil

1 medium sized onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
 2-3 dried bay leaves
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
2-3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
1 packet of Goya Sazon seasoning (with Azafran) optional
2 teaspoons salt
Badia Complete Seasoning (few dashes)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
Some chopped pimentos (if you like)
1 can diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
5.75 oz jar of Olives (about 1 cup)  (personally I like the green olives stuffed with pimentos)
1/2 cup vino seco (a.k.a. cooking wines/dry white wine)

*If you want to "cheat" a little, they sell a package called "Sofrito" that can be found in the frozen section in the Ethnic section.  This has green peppers, onions & red peppers already chopped up!  Saves a whole lot of time but again, it is always better to use fresh ingredients.


*Sometimes I do NOT use tomato sauce and only use the Goya Sazon and use a little "Bijol" for coloring.

Directions:

Add olive oil to a large heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened (or if you are taking the easy route, add the "sofrito" package (about half.)  Add the garlic and stir for another 30-45 seconds then add he lean tground beef and cook (breaking meat apart with a spatula) until ground beef is fully cooked (about 6-10 minutes).   Add salt, very little pepper, a few dashes of Badia's "Complete Seasoning" and a few bay leaves. Mix it up until it is all nice and blended.

Now you can add the "Vino Seco" and let it to cook for a few, at least 2-3 minutes. (Vino Seco is the key to giving it that different flavor!)  (If you choose to use tomatoes, now is the time:)  Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir until combined. (Only a little tomatoe sauce or it will turn into a semi-spaghetti sauce.)  Add the Goya Sazon now also. And finally, towards the end of cooking, add the olives, pimentos.  Mix again. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Make sure you mix it around or it will get all stuck to the pan.

Now, you have picadillo!  You can use it to fill "empanadas" or you can have it by itself with white rice and black beans or even better with some mashed potatoes!

Oooh! Sooo Delish!