Picadillo~Carne Picada con Papas (meat and potato stew)

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Turkey is lower in fat; pork is often less expensive.

potatoes

🥗Healthier: sweet potatoes

💰Cheaper: yams

Sweet potatoes are more nutritious; yams can be cheaper.

Heat a 3 quart saucepan on medium-high heat and add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Saute the finely chopped onion until it starts to fry up.

Add 1 pound of ground chuck to the pan and season with salt and pepper while browning the meat.

Drain off excess oil and water from the cooked ground beef.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the meat and cook it off until it turns brown to make the gravy.

Add 3 small chopped potatoes to the pan.

Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes, about 3 cups.

Add the entire 1/8 ounce can of tomato sauce to the mixture.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.

Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more garlic powder if desired.

Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium once boiling.

Check the pot after some time; if bubbling, lower the heat to low.

Add sliced jalapeno to the pot for spice, optionally adding some juice from the jar if desired.

Let the stew simmer, noting that it will thicken as it cooks.

Adjust seasoning with more salt and sprinkle in some Tabasco sauce before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: