Easy Homemade Picadillo

If you had told me 5 years ago that I’d be interested in a dish involving olives, raisins, and cinnamon, I would’ve been like “Bitch, you crazy.” Yet there I was this past week, choosing to try picadillo for the first time at my own hand. The verdict? Delicious comfort in a bowl. I got this recipe from A Spicy Perspective and followed it exactly!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion peeled and chopped
4-5 cloves garlic minced
1-2 serrano peppers seeded and chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 pounds ground beef
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 cup pimento stuffed green olives drained and sliced
¾ cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil, chopped onions, garlic, serrano peppers, and cilantro. Saute for 3-5 minutes to soften.
Add in the ground beef, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and salt. Brown the beef, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5-8 minutes.
Once the meat is cooked, add in the tomato sauce, vinegar, olives, and raisins. Simmer and stir another 5-7 minutes, until the sauce tightens around the meat.
Serve over warm white rice!