Carne Molida con Papas

Carne Molida con Papas, or in English Ground Beef with Potatoes, is also know in many Latin American countries as Picadillo. To my understanding Picadillo was a seasoned shredded meat usually beef. That version of Picadillo is similar to the Cuban Ropa Vieja. I discovered this as a taco filling. I decided to make this at work.

I basically make my Taco Meat then add between 2 and 4 diced with skin on potatoes. The number of potatoes varies on the size of the potatoes. It simmers till the potatoes are tender. One cheat is to use frozen diced hash browns instead of fresh potatoes. To make it a more complete dish I have added shredded zucchini, diced or shredded carrots, corn, and whole beans. It can be served on rice. It can be a filling for taco, burritos, enchiladas, and empanadas.

Carne Molida con Papas

                                        

In Cuba it is made with raisins, capers, olives and in some regions white wine. They do not use the spicier peppers. In Cuba they serve it with black beans and rice. In Puerto Rico it is a filling for alcapurria, piononos and other fritters. They use ham, recaito, olives, capers, and raisins (sometimes soaked in rum). In Puerto Rico is it served with beans and rice.

This is a hearty dish and great for the meat and potato crowd. I like that it is a variation on another dish I make. There are various recipes for this online, but I just add potatoes to my Taco Meat.