← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 600 g Minced beef
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 medium potatoes (about 300 g), peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 2 Carrot, cut into 1 cm dice
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 400 g tinned diced tomatoes
• 250 ml Water
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños, chopped
• 40 g green olives, chopped (optional)
• 30 g Raisins (optional)
• 12 warm corn tortillas or cooked rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 8 min, breaking it up, until browned and any liquid has evaporated.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 min, until the onion softens.
3. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt and cook for 2 min so the spices toast.
4. Pour in the tomatoes and water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 15–20 min, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender.
5. Uncover, add the jalapeños, olives and raisins (if using) and simmer for 5 min more, until thick but still juicy. Taste for salt.
6. Serve in warm tortillas or over rice, with salsa and a crumble of queso fresco if you like.

Tips

• Leftover picadillo makes a great filling for chiles rellenos, empanadas or crispy tacos.
• Swap the beef for minced pork, or half and half, as many Mexican cooks do.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rick Bayless Pati Jinich