Hi folks, I thought I would start a new thread so it would be easier to find later rather than leaving it on the Happy Birthday thread.
I love Papas Rellenas too. I don't have the recipe typed, but will post it when I do. There is one that looks very good in the Estefan Kitchen cookbook (I just finished reading it, so the recipes are fresh in my mind. I am sure other Cuban cookbooks such as Memories of a Cuban Kitchen would have it as well.) I have some picadillo in the freezer, some I'll use for the empanadas for my trip, but some I'll make papas rellenas when I return. I normally make my mashed pots from scratch, but I have some Yukon Gold Idaho Potato Flakes I bought for CC's Salisbury Steak, so I may just use those. You make the mashed pots, cool them, scoop some out and shape like a half ball, make a hole in the center, add filling, do exactly the same with the other half and put together, making sure all the meat is covered by the potatoes. You then coat with beaten egg and then breadcrumbs (I like to use Cuban cracker breadcrumbs, but any fine grained dry breadcrumb will do.) and fry unitl golden brown. I am posting my picadillo recipe, because I do have that one already typed and I am sure you can make the pots.
PICADILLO FILLING
1 Medium to large onion chopped small
Good pinch of kosher salt
½ cup Good dry sherry
3 Garlic cloves (large) (or 1½ tsp granulated garlic)
½ Green bell pepper seeded, washed and dried
¼ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Dried oregano leaves
½ 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce (use more if want more sauce)
¼ cup Ketchup (optional) or can use all Ketchup and no tomato sauce
1½-3 Lbs. Lean ground beef
15 ounces Raisins (2 to 3 small boxes)
Spanish olives with pimentos, a handful, cut in small pieces
Sauté onion, pepper and garlic, cumin and oregano, in dry wine for about 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Add tomato sauce and mix well. Add ketchup if using. (Amount of tomato sauce can be varied depending on how much ground beef is used) Add ground beef breaking up as you mix with onion mixture and add the salt. (Use more of less salt depending on how many olives you use, as they are salty). Add olives and raisins. (Proportions of these can be changed to taste. I like about equal amounts.) Cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. The ground beef and onions should absorb most of the liquid. This is not like an Italian meat sauce, but rather flavored beef with some liquid. It is important that it not be very wet when used for empanadas or papas rellenas. (If using beef with higher fat content, pre cook beef slightly and drain excess fat.) I usually make the larger amount, use the Picadillo to eat with white rice (with an added splash of sherry vinegar to the Picadillo right before serving) and a fried egg on top (called Picadillo a caballo) the first day and use the leftover for empanada or filling for papas rellenas.
This recipe was created as I watched my mother make this and I guessed since she never measures anything. I tried to put finite quantities for my daughter, but I eyeball most of it as well, so it is always a bit different. If you take the first 8 ingredients (+ olive oil sometimes), you have a sofrito which is the beginning of most Cuban savory dishes. You will see there is no hot pepper of any kind. Cuban food is never peppery hot, though we use a lot of bell peppers. Please let me know what you think if you make it.
I love Papas Rellenas too. I don't have the recipe typed, but will post it when I do. There is one that looks very good in the Estefan Kitchen cookbook (I just finished reading it, so the recipes are fresh in my mind. I am sure other Cuban cookbooks such as Memories of a Cuban Kitchen would have it as well.) I have some picadillo in the freezer, some I'll use for the empanadas for my trip, but some I'll make papas rellenas when I return. I normally make my mashed pots from scratch, but I have some Yukon Gold Idaho Potato Flakes I bought for CC's Salisbury Steak, so I may just use those. You make the mashed pots, cool them, scoop some out and shape like a half ball, make a hole in the center, add filling, do exactly the same with the other half and put together, making sure all the meat is covered by the potatoes. You then coat with beaten egg and then breadcrumbs (I like to use Cuban cracker breadcrumbs, but any fine grained dry breadcrumb will do.) and fry unitl golden brown. I am posting my picadillo recipe, because I do have that one already typed and I am sure you can make the pots.
PICADILLO FILLING
1 Medium to large onion chopped small
Good pinch of kosher salt
½ cup Good dry sherry
3 Garlic cloves (large) (or 1½ tsp granulated garlic)
½ Green bell pepper seeded, washed and dried
¼ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Dried oregano leaves
½ 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce (use more if want more sauce)
¼ cup Ketchup (optional) or can use all Ketchup and no tomato sauce
1½-3 Lbs. Lean ground beef
15 ounces Raisins (2 to 3 small boxes)
Spanish olives with pimentos, a handful, cut in small pieces
Sauté onion, pepper and garlic, cumin and oregano, in dry wine for about 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Add tomato sauce and mix well. Add ketchup if using. (Amount of tomato sauce can be varied depending on how much ground beef is used) Add ground beef breaking up as you mix with onion mixture and add the salt. (Use more of less salt depending on how many olives you use, as they are salty). Add olives and raisins. (Proportions of these can be changed to taste. I like about equal amounts.) Cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. The ground beef and onions should absorb most of the liquid. This is not like an Italian meat sauce, but rather flavored beef with some liquid. It is important that it not be very wet when used for empanadas or papas rellenas. (If using beef with higher fat content, pre cook beef slightly and drain excess fat.) I usually make the larger amount, use the Picadillo to eat with white rice (with an added splash of sherry vinegar to the Picadillo right before serving) and a fried egg on top (called Picadillo a caballo) the first day and use the leftover for empanada or filling for papas rellenas.
This recipe was created as I watched my mother make this and I guessed since she never measures anything. I tried to put finite quantities for my daughter, but I eyeball most of it as well, so it is always a bit different. If you take the first 8 ingredients (+ olive oil sometimes), you have a sofrito which is the beginning of most Cuban savory dishes. You will see there is no hot pepper of any kind. Cuban food is never peppery hot, though we use a lot of bell peppers. Please let me know what you think if you make it.