Paleo Cuban Beef Picadillo
This is classic Cuban comfort food, made from ground meat cooked with a delicious combination of capers, olives, and raisins. This simple one-pan meal tastes just as great spooned over a bowl of cauliflower rice or tucked inside scrambles or wraps.
Note: This recipe is part of a weekly menu of Paleo meals from the Michelle Tam and Henry Fong, the creators of the blog Nom Nom Paleo and authors of several cookbooks, including Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!, where you’ll find this recipe and other delicious Paleo recipes.
Cuban Beef Picadillo
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup
raisins
- 2 tablespoons
avocado oil or ghee
- 1
red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1
large onion, diced
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 6 cloves
garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons
tomato paste
- 1 pound
lean ground beef
- 1 pound
ground pork
- 1 tablespoon
dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon
ground cumin
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can
diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup
bone broth or chicken broth
- 2
bay leaves
- 1/2 cup
pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons
capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon
red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a small bowl, soak the raisins in hot water for at least 10 minutes or until plumped. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and swirl in the oil when the pan is hot. Add the bell peppers, onions, and a sprinkle of salt.
Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds.
Add the beef and pork to the skillet, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
When the meat is no longer pink, stir in the oregano, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix in the tomatoes, broth, and plumped raisins.
Tuck in the bay leaves into the meat. Then, increase the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes.
Pick out the bay leaves and toss in the olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in vinegar and taste for seasoning. Adjust with salt, pepper, and vinegar if necessary. Serve over cauliflower rice.
Recipe Notes
Excerpted from Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! © 2022 written & photographed by Michelle Tam & Henry Fong. Reproduced by permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing. All rights reserved.
