Pork, beef & lamb· GF · DF

Beef Picadillo

Name: Beef Picadillo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 500g beef mince (10% fat); 250g potato, 1cm dice; 1 (150g) onion, finely chopped; 1 (160g) green pepper, diced; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 50g pitted green olives, sliced; 40g raisins; 20g capers; 3 cloves (15g) garlic; 6g cumin, oregano, cinnamon; 15ml red wine vinegar; 10ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube beef stock cube; 200ml water, to make up the stock

A Cuban-style mince with tomato, green olives, raisins, cumin and a little potato: sweet, salty and savoury.

makes 20 blocks, about 41p each

Jump to recipe

BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/beef-picadillo/

Illustration of a bowl of Beef Picadillo

Time: 45 min10 min prep · 35 min cook
Makes: 20 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 41p
Calories per blockCalories: 68 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

500gbeef mince (10% fat)
250gpotato, 1cm dice
1 (150g)onion, finely chopped
1 (160g)green pepper, diced
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
50gpitted green olives, sliced
40graisins
20gcapers
3 cloves (15g)garlic
6gcumin, oregano, cinnamon
15mlred wine vinegar
10mlrapeseed oil
1 cubebeef stock cube
200mlwater, to make up the stock

Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Rice and black beans · Stuffed into peppers or empanadas · With fried plantain

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat and brown the mince for 8–10 minutes, breaking it up.
Step 2: Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and pepper and cook for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and spices for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes, stock, vinegar and potato. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is tender.
Step 4: Add the olives, raisins and capers and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until thick.
Step 5: Taste, season carefully (the olives are salty), cool and freeze.

Hotter: add a chopped jalapeño with the pepper.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	68	6.1g	6.2g	2.3g	1g	0.43g
Per 3 blocks	204	18.3g	18.6g	6.9g	3g	1.29g

Cook’s notes

Keep the potato small so it portions evenly into blocks.
Leave out the raisins if you prefer it savoury.
Turkey mince works too.

Serve it

Rice and black beans · Stuffed into peppers or empanadas · With fried plantain.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 204 kcal and 18.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Beef Picadillo questions

Can I use a mix of beef and pork mince?

A mix of beef and pork is common in picadillo and gives a softer, richer result. Cook it exactly the same way and spoon off any extra fat.

Which potato works best?

An all-rounder such as Maris Piper or a waxy potato like Charlotte holds its shape in small dice. Floury potatoes break down more and thicken the sauce.

Can I leave out the capers?

The olives still give a briny, salty note without them. Taste before seasoning either way, as both are salty.