Cuban Picadillo with Plant-Based Meat
By Sara MayerPublished on January 31, 2022
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse1 onion, chopped coarse1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon table salt 6 garlic cloves, minced¾ cup dry white wine ½ cup vegetable broth ½ cup raisins 3 bay leaves 12 ounces plant-based ground meat ½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse2 tablespoons capers, rinsed1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
Before You Begin
Serve with rice and black beans and top with chopped parsley, toasted sliced almonds, and/or chopped hard-cooked egg, if you like.
Instructions
- Pulse bell pepper and onion in food processor until chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 12 pulses; transfer to bowl. Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper-onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and tomatoes and cook, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot using metal spatula or wooden spoon, until pot is almost dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, and bay leaves and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ground meat to pot, pinching off meat into pieces no smaller than ¼ inch, and bring to simmer. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is firm, about 5 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup raisins
3 bay leaves
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup raisins
3 bay leaves
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup raisins
3 bay leaves
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
Why This Recipe Works
Traditional Cuban picadillo is a one-pot dish featuring finely chopped beef and a balanced sweet-sour-savory flavor profile. Our rendition begins with chopping the vegetables (bell pepper and onion) and blooming the spices (oregano, cumin, and cinnamon) in oil. We then build the sauce by adding canned tomatoes, white wine, and vegetable broth; the tomatoes and wine give the picadillo its characteristic subtle tartness. Raisins and olives are typical additions, and we also like the brininess provided by capers and the extra brightness from a splash of red wine vinegar. While many of our recipes for plant-based meat call for browning the meat to develop a nice charred flavor, here we skip that step, simmering it gently in the sauce for juicy tenderness.
Before You Begin
Serve with rice and black beans and top with chopped parsley, toasted sliced almonds, and/or chopped hard-cooked egg, if you like.
Instructions
- Pulse bell pepper and onion in food processor until chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 12 pulses; transfer to bowl. Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper-onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and tomatoes and cook, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot using metal spatula or wooden spoon, until pot is almost dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, and bay leaves and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ground meat to pot, pinching off meat into pieces no smaller than ¼ inch, and bring to simmer. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is firm, about 5 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve.
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