Beef Picadillo.

Walking back home after an unpleasant day at school in my teens comes to my mind as I prepare this dish for my family. Being teenager was not a fun experience for me, but I always felt much better once I was home, it was my happy place, where I felt safe and loved the way I was.

Mum would ask how our day was and as a silly teenager probably I almost wouldn’t answer, but I was so relieved to be home if only I was better to express that to my Mum. The first place I would go straight to after entering my home and dropping my stuff on the floor was the kitchen , I wanted to see what was that lovely smell.

And there it was my favourite, a steaming pan of picadillo, another pot with freshly made mexican red rice, warm corn tortillas and homemade salsa, the table would be set and ready for us to sit and eat together, our conversation would ease a bit more with food and I think Mum knew this.

I’m lucky in that way my Mum was always making fresh food for us and dedicating all her time to us, I wished I realised then how lucky I was! but now more than ever I hold on to those lovely memories of my mum and the warm and healthy place that she created for us when we were growing up.

One of the many things I learned from my Mum is that you don’t have to spend ages in the kitchen to cook for your family, there are little shortcuts you can take, have some prep done in the fridge, things that can make the actual cooking much faster, like a bit of recaudo to make rice, enrich a sauce or soup, chicken stock and the shredded chicken meat ready to be used, are just some examples .

Picadillo is a great family recipe because apart from the main ingredient minced beef there isn’t just one recipe for this dish, It’s just about using whatever you have in your fridge that week, perhaps a bit of leftover bacon to add or chorizo, play around with the vegetables and the seasoning you use too I sometimes add a splash of orange juice and let it reduce and coat the meat and vegetables with extra flavour, make it dry or more juicy, either way it’s always really delicious and always comforting.

I hope my quick picadillo recipe brings happy faces into your home too.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil, (or any cooking oil of your preference).

1 yellow onion, (finely chopped).

500 grams of steak minced beef.

1 tbsp tamari sauce.

2 medium potatoes, (washed, peeled and diced).

2 carrots, (washed, peeled and diced).

1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock.

1/2 lemon (juice).

1/2 cup pf beer, (recommend IPA).

Sea salt and black coarse pepper to season.

1 cup of frozen peas.

Method.

Add half of the oil to a frying pan until is hot, then add your onions and stir, you may then add the minced beef and tamari sauce, brake the meat into the pan with a wooden spoon and combine with the onions. Cook until the meat gets a bit of colour , transfer this mixture from the pan into a bowl and set aside.

Add a bit more oil to your pan and fry the potatoes and carrots gently, then add the beef onion mixture back into the pan, integrate all the ingredients and add your chicken stock and beer, a bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper, cover your pan with a lid and let it simmer on medium heat until your vegetables are cooked through.

Finally add the frozen peas on top and the squeezed lemon juice on top, taste the juices and adjust seasoning if necessary , cover with a lid and cook for another minute or two, just enough for the peas to cook through but still remain bright green.

Serve with steamed rice and warm corn tortillas.