Spiced ground meat

4 cups

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
½ cup Sherry
½ cup Golden raisins
4 Long green fresh chilies like Anaheim or poblano or
4 ounces Can peeled whole green chilies, drained finely chopped
1½ teaspoon Cumin seeds or
2 teaspoons Ground cumin
1 pounds Lean ground beef
1 cup Onions; finely chopped
1 cup Small pimento-stuffed green olives (5 oz) thinly sliced
2 larges Garlic cloves; minced
1½ teaspoon Canela; pref freshly ground or
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

Directions

(picadillo dulce)

1. In a small nonreactive saucepan, heat the sherry until hot. Add the raisins and remove from the heat. Let sit for about 20 minutes.

2. If using fresh chilies, roast them directly over a gas flame or under a broiler, as close to the heat as possible, turning frequently, until charred all over. Transfer to a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel the chilies and discard the stems, seeds and ribs. Finely chop the chilies.

3. If using cumin seeds, toast them in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

4. Heat a large heavy skillet. Add the beef and ¼ cup of water and cook over moderate heat until the meat loses its pink color; about 2 minutes. Stir in the onions, olives, garlic, cumin, canela, cloves, salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh or canned chilies and the raisins with the sherry. Cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

Note: Canela or true (Ceylon) cinnamon has a much subtler flavor than the cinnamon, or cassia, commonly marketed in the U.S. so that you can use about three times as much canela as cassia. To grind a soft canela stick, use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

Building Block: This slightly sweet ground-meat stuffing is seasoned with one of the most popular spice combinations in Mexican cookin: cumin, canela (true Ceylon cinnamon). and cloves.

Uses: Stuff the filling into saut‚ed poblano chilies, marinated ancho chilies or roast turkey. Use as a filling for tacos, burritos, empanadas or croissants made with commercial puff pastry. Stir into a simple tomato sauce.

Lessons from Zarela's Kitchen by Zarela Martinez Food and Wine Magazine Dec 1994 Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 12-18-94

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