Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

3 T Olive oil or 1 Jalapeno chili, seeded
-vegetable oil -and chopped (or more
2 lb Ground beef, lean -to taste)
1 lg Onion, finely chopped 1/2 C Raisins (soaked 10
1 Garlic clove, -minutes in warm water)
-finely chopped 1/2 C Pimento-stuffed olives,
3 md Tomatoes, peeled -halved crosswise
-and chopped 1/2 t Oregano
2 Tart cooking apples, 1/2 t Thyme
-peeled, cored Salt
-and chopped Pepper
1/2 C Almonds, slivered 1 T Butter

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the beef and saute until it is
lightly browned, stirring to break up any lumps. Add the onion and garlic
and saute for 5 minutes longer. Add all the remaining ingredients except
the butter and the almonds. Mix well and simmer, uncovered, over moderate
heat, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes.

In a small skillet, heat the butter and saute the almonds until they are
golden brown.

Mound the beef onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the almonds.
Surround it with a border of rice.

NOTES:

* Latin-American seasoned chopped beef -- I got this recipe from net.cooks
in the fall of 1983. It was posted by houxm!houxz!llf.

* Picadillo is a great favorite throughout Latin America, and every
country has its own version. In Mexico it is much appreciated as a filling
for tacos, empanadas, tamales and green peppers. In the north of the
country it is popular on its own and is eaten as a main dish, accompanied
by rice, beans, guacamole and tortillas.

* Variations: Instead of oregano and thyme, use a pinch or two of
cinnamon and ground cloves. This makes an interesting difference in flavor,
giving the dish an almost Middle Eastern taste.

* In Chihuahua, the apple is left out and 4 medium potatoes, cooked and
cubed, and about 2 C cooked green peas are added to the beef at the end of
the cooking time for just long enough to heat them through. This makes a
nice one-dish meal.

* Picadillo de la Costa from the state of Guerrero, best known for the
beach resort of Acapulco, uses the tropical fruits in which the region
abounds, and instead of beef uses an equal mixture of ground pork and veal.
The method is the same but the meats, with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, hot
peppers, salt and pepper, are cooked, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Then add
about 1 1/2 C pineapple chunks, 2 pears (peeled, cored and cut in chunks)
and 2 bananas (peeled and sliced) are added and the mixture simmered for 15
minutes longer over low heat. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.
This is a delicious summer dish, good with plain rice.

* In addition to the almonds, I add fresh coriander leaves as a garnish.

: Difficulty: easy.
: Time: 20 minutes preparation.
: Precision: approximate measurement OK.

: Nancy Mintz
: UNIX System Development Lab, ATT-IS, Summit, NJ
: ihnp4!attunix!nlm

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