Cuban Style Picadillo, White Rice & Fried Plantains

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup Stuffed Manzanilla Olives
1/4 cup olive juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried whole oregano

2 bay leaves

1 package of Sazon Goya con Azafran seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste
1-8oz. can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup Edmundo golden cooking wine
2 cups of long grain white rice
2 really ripe plantains

1 cup vegetable oil for cooking plantains
4 Servings

Oop's, I forgot the cooking wine and the bay leaves.

Please note: This cooking wine is not for drinking, I repeat, not for drinking! I know, I know, you should always use wine that you can drink in recipes. But this is the wine that the Cubans used for their recipes, and it really gives the dish the authentic Cuban flavor, and that's my story and I'm stickin to it!!!!!

Okay, dice the onion and the garlic.

Start browning the meat on medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic to the meat, and cook until meat is no longer pink. I throw the onions and garlic to flavor the meat as it cooks.

Drain out as much of the oil that you can.

After you drain out the excess oil, add all the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Then, turn down the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, that way the juices will evaporate and it will thicken up a bit. Don't forget to add salt and pepper to taste. Then you can turn the heat down to low, put a cover on it, and let the flavors blend together while you make the rice and fry the plantains.


The plantains should be brown and soft like this, very ripe.

Now, cut off the ends of the plantain.

Make a slit with a knife from one end of the plantain to the other and take the peel off carefully not to smash the plantain, as it will be very soft.

You want to slice them about a half inch thick and cut on an angle like this.


Now they are ready to fry.


Fry the plantains in the oil on medium heat, turning them a few times so they don't burn.

You want them to be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

That's why I turn them 2-3 times.

When they are done, drain them on a paper towel.

I use an electric rice maker for my rice. All I do is take 2 cups of rice and put it in the rice maker pot, rinse it with water 5 times, until the water is clear. Then I add 2 cups of water to the rice, 2 teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil, stir, put on the top and push the cook button. It cooks itself in about 20 minutes.

Cooking the rice on top of the stove in a pot with a tight fitting lid will work just fine. Just remember to rinse it and use the same amount of rice and water, l teaspoon of salt for every cup and a little olive oil. Bring to a good boil, place the lid on and lower the temperature to simmer and don't touch it for at least 20 minutes.


When it's done I fluff it with a fork.

Now to plate it, you put a good helping of rice in the center of a plate like this.


Put some picadillo on top of the rice and spread the fried plantains around like this.

Serve with a side of Cuban bread.

And, that's all there is to it.

Muy Delicioso!!!!!!!!

If you have any questions about my recipes please send me an email at jomat25@yahoo.com, or if you want to leave a comment, that would be great!!!

I hope you enjoy these recipes.

With Love,

Joyce