Picadillo

Filipino version of Picadillo

Picadillo served with rice

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines (where it is known as giniling) that is similar to hash. It is made with ground meat (usually beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and other ingredients that vary by region.

It is often served with rice or used as a filling in dishes such as tacos, savoury pastries or croquettes. The name comes from the Spanish word "picar," which means "to mince" or "to chop".

Costa Rica

Costa Rican versions always include the name of the vegetable which represents the main ingredient to the dish, (Potato Picadillo, Ayote Picadillo, etc.) and which is chopped and cooked with bell peppers, onions, stock, herbs and spices. It can include some type of protein but is not essential. It is always served with tortillas and is part of all traditional meals in Costa Rican cuisine.

Cuba

Cuban versions include peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, tomato sauce, stock, olives and on occasion raisins, potatoes, and capers, and is usually sauteed in olive oil and white wine, depending on the region. Cuban picadillo is served with black turtle beans and rice.

Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic it includes peppers, red onions, garlic, tomato paste, bouillon cube, olives, capers, raisins, hard-boiled egg, cider vinegar, and allspice, and is served with either white or brown rice.

Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico it is used as a filling for empanadas, alcapurria and other fritters. The ground meat is sauteed with annatto oil, thyme, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, recaito, tomato sauce and on occasion raisin (soaked in rum), olives, capers, and ham.

Philippines

In the Philippines, picadillo is traditionally made with beef and either potatoes or chayote.

Mexico

In Mexico, the dish usually calls for onions and lime to be stirred into the meat while it cooks and the sauce is sometimes sweetened by adding sugar to the pan that the meat and sauce are being fried in or, more recently, by using honey, giving the finished meal a somewhat teriyaki or bulgogi like taste. Raisins may also be added to taste. In some coastal or Indigenous areas, the beef is substituted with seafood ranging from shellfish to tuna.