pork picadillo

Pork

Pork Picadillo

Picadillo, with its lively sweet-and-sour taste, is a classic Cuban dish that almost every family has a version of. It's traditionally made with ground beef, but because beef is expensive and in very short supply, Cubans use pork instead in this easy recipe. Picadillo is a great party dish, since it reheats well. Serve with rice or polenta.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground pork (see tip)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
ground pepper to taste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved
2 bay leaves
½ cup raisins
⅓ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add pork; cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in cumin, oregano, cinnamon, salt, allspice and pepper, then add tomatoes, their reserved juice and bay leaves. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
Stir in raisins, olives and vinegar; cover and simmer for 10 minutes more.