Where has this perfect marriage of olives and raisins been all my life? Salty olives, sweet raisins, starchy yam, meaty bison, spicy hot sauce… Although it seems like there could almost be too many competing flavours, there aren’t. Everything still stands out, making this a truly addictive dish.
I used bison simply because I’ve got so much around. You could use any ground meat or poultry, though if you want to make a truly Cuban picadillo, pork is the way to go.
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison 1 large onion – chopped 1 green bell pepper – seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped or grated 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 2 cups yam – peeled and diced ½ cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper ½ cup pitted green olives – chopped ½ cup raisinsPreparation:
In a wide pot or frying pan large enough to hold all ingredients, cook the bison on medium-high until just browned.
Add the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally for two minutes.
Stir in the remaining ingredients except the olives and raisins. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer partially covered for thirty minutes.
Add the olives and raisins, simmering covered for five minutes.
Serve immediately.