When Hamburger Helper came out in 1971, it made ground beef a mainstay of the quick and easy dinner. Mom did make Hamburger Helper on occasion, but fortunately she never abandoned a quick and easy ground beef dish that was part of our family tradition. I learned to make picadillo (pick-ah-dee-yo) from her, she learned it from her mother, and I can only assume that my grandmother learned it from her mother. I remember my grandfather mispronouncing it “piccadilly” as a playful poke at my grandmother when she prepared it for Thursday night dinner.
There are many versions of picadillo. This recipe is true to what I grew up eating, although the cumin and cinnamon stick are my additions. This ground beef hash has wonderful complex flavors: the beef and onions are savory, the raisins add sweetness, olives are salty and capers piquant. That big flavor is a great thing in a dish that only takes a few minutes to put together using pantry staples.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2009.