Picadillo a la Habanero: This is how you bring Caribbean pep to the minced meat

recipe

Cuban cuisine
Picadillo à la Habanero: The Cuban Bolognese with that special Caribbean twist

Cuba is known for many things: rum, cigars, the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club and breathtaking street cruisers. Cuban cuisine, on the other hand, is widely considered to be a mishmash of tastes, boring and not very varied. It’s a wild hodgepodge of Caribbean, African and Spanish influences, but a number of other cultures have also left their mark on the island state’s dishes.

The linchpin of the Cuban diet is meat. This is preferably served with rice and beans, mixed or separately. This is then called Congrí or Arroz con Frijoles. Vegetables tend to play a subordinate role, although they do feature on the plate – for example in the form of sweet potatoes, cassava, malanga and plantains. However, mostly mixed with the rest to one-pot dishes.

One of the best known is Ropa Vieja. A beef stew also popular in other Caribbean and Latin American countries. The name means something like “old, worn clothes” and describes the consistency of the meat. Because the beef is so tender after stewing that it can be pulled apart. In addition to ropa vieja, there is another dish that every Cuban housewife knows like a glove: picadillo a la habanero. A down-to-earth minced meat dish that can best be compared to a Bolognese.

Picadillo a la Habanero: The slightly different Bolognese

In Cuba, the dish is part of the standard repertoire of home cooking. Unlike the Italian version, Picadillo a la Habanero is traditionally served with rice rather than pasta. And there are one or two subtle differences. The essential: The sweetness of raisins.

The shopping list (for four people)

500 g ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
½ green pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste
100g green olives stuffed with peppers
70 grams of raisins
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
olive oil

This is how the Cuban Bolognese is prepared

The preparation of the minced meat sauce is not magic, but requires a little patience. First, the onion and garlic cloves are chopped, and the peppers are cut into small pieces. Heat some olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onion, garlic and peppers. Then add the ground beef and let it sizzle until the meat is a rich brown colour. Finally mix in the tomato paste, olives and cumin.

Now it’s time to simmer. That’s why the lid comes on the pan. Let the sauce continue to simmer for about 20 minutes on low before adding the raisins and a pinch of salt to the sauce. Simmer for another five minutes – done. Traditionally, picadillo a la habanero is served with white rice, but also with congrí, a mix of beans and rice.

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