Wine With…Picadillo

WINE WITH… PICADILLO

There are many good reasons why Picadillo is a favorite dish in Latin America, and why you should adopt it as one of your own favorite go-to recipes. It makes a meal that’s quick and easy to prepare and serve. The only ingredient in traditional Picadillo that might be thought of as even vaguely “exotic” is pimento-stuffed green olives (and capers may be easily substituted for the olives). Picadillo is simple to throw together at the last minute as a casual supper for two, and it’s also a terrific party dish that can be prepared a day or so ahead of time to serve a crowd (in fact it tastes even better when made a day ahead). Add rice and a green salad to the menu and presto–you’ve got a complete meal.

Our Mexican friend Carolemarie follows her family’s Picadillo recipe to make a delicious taco filling, while our pal Mary Ann, whose mother was Cuban, serves it as a favorite comfort food. Carolemarie’s version tends to be quite spicy, Mary Ann’s milder. Picadillo is a forgiving recipe, to be adjusted according to personal taste and imagination. We found that It adapts best to red wine, but if you drink only whites—well, you’ll come up with something that will be a felicitous accompaniment.

Picadillo

serves 4

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red, yellow or green bell pepper, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef or bison
1 teaspoon each cumin and oregano (or more, to taste)
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/2 cup red or white wine
1/4cup raisins
1/3 cup pimento-stuffed green olives cut in half or smaller if olives are very large (or substitute 2 tbs capers for the olives)
Salt and pepper
Sour cream or slivered almonds or pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Cook the onion and bell pepper in oil over medium heat until they soften (do not let the onions brown). Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes, then add the beef. Add the meat, stirring occasionally, and continue cooking until it is cooked through. Add the raisins and olives, taste for seasoning, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve over brown or white rice.

This is quite clearly a red wine dish. The meatiness of the beef, coupled with the piquancy of the garlic, onions, cumin and olives, proves too forceful for most whites. Yet our tasting showed us that not all reds work equally well. We tried two Pinot Noirs, both of which were overwhelmed, and while the different flavors in the dish held up to tannins quite well, our picadillo did not much like wines that were notably taught or astringent The raisins make it somewhat sweet, but overly candied flavors were another no-no. The best wines, regardless of grape variety turned out to be ones with well-defined red and black fruit flavors, suppleness on the palate, and a firm finish. Perhaps not surprisingly, all hailed from New World vineyards.