Caribbean · lunch, dinner
Cuban-Style Picadillo with Potatoes
Video by Chef Zee Cooks on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Each serve has about 32 g protein plus iron and zinc from the beef, with tomato, onion and pepper adding vitamin C. The sweetness comes from a spoonful of raisins, not sugar.
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Ingredients 17
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Mix the beef with the mashed garlic, oregano, black pepper and a little salt and leave it to marinate for about 20 minutes. 1:12
- Meanwhile simmer the potato cubes in water over medium-high heat until just tender, then drain. 1:54
- Heat 1–2 tsp olive oil and sauté the onion and green pepper with a pinch of salt and pepper until translucent. 2:22
- Add the beef and brown it, pressing and breaking it up constantly with the back of a spoon while it's still raw so it cooks into fine, smooth crumbs. Add the cumin and bay leaves. 3:04
- Once browned, add ½ cup water and let it cook off to tenderise the meat, repeating if needed. Work in the tomato paste, then the tomato sauce. 4:05
- Stir in the vino seco, olives, raisins and the diced fresh garlic, check the salt, then gently fold in the potatoes. Serve with white rice and maduros (sweet plantains). 5:09
Tip. Serves 6 (the cook's written recipe). Use lean (5-star) mince and pour off any fat after browning to cut the saturated fat. Vino seco is often salted – go easy on extra salt. Freezes well.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 6
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 16%
- Protein 33%
- Fat 51%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin B12 High128%
3.1 µg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Zinc High69%
7.6 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (94%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Selenium High47%
26 µg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (92%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin B6 High40%
0.7 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (61%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Iron High26%
4.6 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (64%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Vitamin C High25%
23 mg a serve, mostly from green pepper (44%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Potassium High20%
920 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (42%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin E Source13%
2 mg a serve, mostly from tomato paste (47%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Magnesium Source12%
52 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (46%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Show the other 6
Folate8%
30 µg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (34%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin K7%
8.6 µg a serve, mostly from tomato paste (29%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Omega-36%
0.1 g a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (73%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Calcium5%
69 mg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (41%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin A3%
25 µg a serve, mostly from tomato paste (67%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin D1%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from grass-fed ground beef (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Chef Zee Cooks; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.