Cuban Picadillo with Ground Pork and Rice

In Cuba, “picadillo” is traditionally made with ground beef, but I used pork in this recipe because it's a prominent meat in Cuban cooking—and it's what I had on hand. The combination of savory meat and vegetables, sweet raisins, and briny olives makes this simple, homey dish especially delectable.

Picadillo is commonly served with rice, black beans, and fried plantains. Here, I ladled it over rice steamed in chicken broth and served warm tortillas on the side.

For other Cuban recipes, try Slow-Cooker-Pork Cubanos with Fried Plantains and Cuban Braised Pork with Caramelized Onions.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives, with or without pimentos
• 1/3 cup black raisins
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• white rice and warm tortillas, for serving

Picadillo Vegetables and Fruit

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the pork, garlic, onion, and bell peppers and cook, breaking up the pork, 8-9 minutes, until just cooked through.

Pork and Vegetables Beginning to Cook

Cooked Pork and Vegetables

1. Add the olives, raisins, wine, tomato paste, cumin, and cloves and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the ingredients are well combined and very fragrant, 5-6 minutes.

Remaining Ingredients Added

Cooked Picadillo

To serve, divide the rice among 4-5 plates and spoon the picadillo on top. Serve warm tortillas on the side, if desired.