# Picadillo! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504 "2024-09-20T02:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/1 "2024-09-20T02:57:01Z")
Trader Joe’s used to carry jarred picadillo sauce. You’d brown some ground beef, add the jar of sauce, and there was dinner. Because it was so easy and tasty, they discontinued it (some years ago). I’ve had it at Cuban restaurants a time or two and still love it. I finally decided we needed to start making it at home - looking at the ingredients, it can’t be that tough. First attempt: [Cuban Picadillo - The Suburban Soapbox](https://thesuburbansoapbox.com/easy-cuban-picadillo-recipe/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFZwdhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUgN7JfqeJXmZPIf668e8fRKSU9AwtH-LJsVuPjt9JLzQElRuE2Au4J2cw_aem_3-CFTSqKcbpRIUUk2wMGSg) This did NOT do the trick. Nothing “sauce-y” about it (I mean, I’m not expecting something like bolognese sauce in consistency, but a LITTLE moisture to soak into the rice…), and it was more bitter than sweet. It’s not supposed to be SUGARY sweet, but there was no hint of sweetness to this one at all. It wasn’t awful; the rest of the household liked it OK; I even ate it. But it did not really satisfy. This one looks closer, but I don’t know if it’s quite there. It looks a little dryer in the photos, but that could be solved by a titch more water or tomato sauce: [Picadillo - Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/picadillo/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFZwdFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQKogsjAmaE--5AD-Sjj3wuGoF4zLyvGb9YGF0OeNfcKvfdWkFjfaBmqnA_aem_f17Rb3qgk87XvjkTxdgJyA) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/2 "2024-09-20T05:34:19Z")
In my experience, adding water doesn’t make something saucy, it just makes it watery. You want to retain the moisture given off by the ingredients as they cook (lots of it in onions, for example). This includes the fats coming off the meat (don’t use too-lean beef) so they can emulsify in the liquid. That’s what gives you a thick rich saucy base. (Assuming you don’t want to cheat with a cornstarch shortcut or something.) I looked around some, and this recipe may be what you want. > **[Big Batch Saucy Picadillo - Crumb: A Food Blog](https://www.crumbblog.com/big-batch-ground-beef-picadillo/)** > > This saucy Cuban-style picadillo features ground beef in a spiced tomato sauce with raisins and olives. A quick and comforting dinner for busy weeknights. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/3 "2024-09-20T06:13:10Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > In my experience, adding water doesn’t make something saucy, it just makes it water Good point. The water would be if we accidentally let it simmer a bit too long and it got too dry, but we would indeed do better to add some other liquid (broth, tomato sauce, sofrito or something). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/4 "2024-09-20T17:44:40Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Because it was so easy and tasty, they discontinued it (some years ago). That plays into their decision but so to does the complete lack of suitable replacement. But the biggest factor in cancelation most of all is how much you love it. Yes, you, Trader Joe’s Blue Cheese dip & dressing. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/5 "2024-09-20T22:26:29Z")
I’ve made this recipe quite a lot. It has you serve the sauce over chicken rather then mixing it with ground beef, but it at the very least may provide some inspiration. Note the addition of currant jelly, which I think will give it that sweetness you’re looking for. > **[Cubano Chicken with Spicy Currant Picadillo Recipe - Food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/cubano-chicken-with-spicy-currant-picadillo-63869)** > > Try Cubano Chicken with Spicy Currant Picadillo from Food.com. - 63869 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/6 "2024-09-22T19:07:26Z")
This is my go-to picadillo recipe-- absolutely delicious. It must have raisins and almonds. Need fresh flour tortillas to go with. > **[Picadillo - The Epicentre](https://theepicentre.com/?recipe=picadillo)** > > Herbs and spices, the spice trade, cooking with spices, recipes and health benefits of spice. Online shop for hard-to-find & best quality spices and blends. I hate cilantro, so I leave it out. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picadillo/1007504/7 "2024-09-24T04:47:49Z")
Yummy sounding! I found one at New York Times that involves a number of “sweet” spices (cloves were among them) and which looks interesting; it also includes a small quantity of dried chorizo. Sadly, housemate loathes raisins, so we need to either add them later, to half the dish, or substitute (dried apricots would be acceptable, though when my son made the original recipe, the apricots were undetectable). That same housemate likes mushrooms, so I have to question her taste buds, LOL.