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cuban picadillo napa cabbage rolls via heartofhomemade.com

Cuban Picadillo in Napa Cabbage Rolls

"Picadillo" is a very famous Cuban ground beef dish. This particular Picadillo recipe has been passed down and perfected through several generations - and paired with napa cabbage, it makes for a deliciously healthy treat!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Picadillo:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb lean ground beef at least 93% lean
  • 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 5 pimento-stuffed olives
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/8 cup burgundy cooking wine
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive juice from olive jar
  • 1/2 of a medium tomato finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sazon completa
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon of dried flaked oregano (optional)
  • 1 packet "Sazon with Azafran" by Goya or replace with saffron

For the cabbage:

  • 1 head of napa cabbage
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions
 

For the Picadillo:

  • Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the beef, red pepper, onions, garlic, raisins, olives, and salt, and stir to combine.
  • Stirring occasionally, cook the mixture until the meat is browned. Lower the heat to medium.
  • Pour in wine, vinegar, and olive juice and continue to stir occasionally.
  • Add in the tomato, and stir it in.
  • Add in black pepper, oregano, and packet of Sazon, and stir them in.
  • Taste test the salt---add in more if necessary.
  • Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by at least half, about 10-15 minutes.

For the cabbage:

  • Lay four nappa cabbage leaves at a time (stacked, if necessary) in a large, nonstick skillet. Pour in the water, and cover. Set the heat to medium high. Cook until the cabbage is the desired level of tenderness.

For plating:

  • Lay a cabbage leaf out on a clean surface. Drop 2-3 tablespoons of picadillo into the center of the leaf, and proceed to roll it like a burrito. Enjoy!

Notes

*Some people like to include potatoes in this dish - if you want to include them, simply dice 1-2 potatoes and add them in prior to evaporating out the liquid and cook until the potatoes are tender (you may also need to add more salt)
*For sweeter picadillo, add more raisins at the beginning and more cooking wine - this is not a sweet version