Picadillo (Hash) at the Flores Family's El Charro Cafe

"This is a traditional dish for a Mexican wedding. Use Spanish green olives in this recipe. Ketchup sweetens Picadillo; so, if the apples are tart, you might choose to add a little. To "slowest choppers in the Western Hemisphere", I recommend preparing the following the day before: garlic, onion, celery, olives. I stored the garlic and onion in vinegar overnight. The raisins and ketchup/water/sugar mixtures prepare quickly. The potato and apple should be saved for last, since they will turn color. With no specified amount of cinnamon, I used about 1 teaspoon, and it was noticeable but not overpowering. I like garlic, but the garlic was not overpowering at all, it was just go-ooo-d!. It has a sweet and sour aspect. I was wary of this dish as it was labelled "hash". So I prepared Italian Meat Loaf from BH&G in case DH was disappointed in the Picadillo. I called it the match between Italian and Mexican cuisines in the ground beef category. The Italian meat loaf was excellent, so I was really shocked that DH preferred this Picadillo. The recipe came from "The Flores Family's El Charro Cafe Cookbook.""
 
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photo by Miss Fannie photo by Miss Fannie
photo by Miss Fannie
Ready In:
50mins
Ingredients:
16
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat a skillet and add the salt, water, and ground beef.
  • Stir and separate the beef, and brown it quickly.
  • Mix ketchup with water in equal proportions.
  • Add the garlic puree, onion, potato, celery, tomato, raisins, vinegar, ketchup/water mixture, olives, sugar, cinnamon, and apples.
  • Cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Makes 6-8 servings.

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Reviews

  1. I completely missed that the recipe called for TWO pounds of ground meat when I decided to make it. I proceeded with one pound however since I had dinner planned and everything else ready on the counter. The recipe turned out with a good ratio of meat to veggies so I was happy after all and will stay with the one pound. This recipe doesn't have the depth & contrasts of flavors of my favorite picadillo recipe, but I would make it again. It's fast and easy enough for a meal on a busy night & my family liked the addition of the potatoes. Do use the optional catsup. It's fairly vital to the flavor profile. I used yukon gold potatoes & cooked in the microwave to speed things along. Served with Blue Mesa Cornbread and a salad. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
     
  2. This was delicious and everyone loved it. I used tortillas to eat it with.
     
  3. This dish sure stretched two pounds of ground beef a long way. It was a surprise that it was sweet and tart. I served it with classic Southern cornbread. I am going to enjoy the leftovers for lunch. I suspect it will taste even better the following day.
     
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I love to eat yummy healthy foods!
 
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