Cuban Picadillo
Submitted as Grandma Jennie’s Picadillo by Jeanne Lazo
(Also featured on this page: Grandma Jennie’s Cuban Black Beans)
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
¼ c. olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 tsp. minced garlic)
½ green pepper, diced
½ c. raisins
2 tsp. capers
½ c. green olives, chopped
2 bay leaves
Black pepper to taste
½ small can tomato sauce
Instructions
Brown the ground beef in olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the veggies are tender. Add the raisins, capers, olives, bay leaves, black pepper, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Best served warm with black beans and rice.
Cuban Black Beans
Submitted by Jeanne Lazo
Ingredients
16 oz. dry black beans
1 green pepper, diced
1 whole head of garlic, peeled (8-10 cloves)
1 large onion, whole and peeled
1 c. olive oil
2 bay leaves
Oregano to taste
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. vinegar
Instructions
Rinse the dry beans in cold water. In a large pot, add the beans and cover with water, then add two more inches of water. Add the diced green pepper, garlic, onion, half of olive oil, 2 bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally on medium heat until done, approximately 2 hours.
When tender, mash a few beans and add back to pot with rest of olive oil and vinegar and stir.
Optional: you can put garlic head (without peeling) into pot and discard along with whole onion when beans are done.