Laura’s Kitchen Sink Picadillo Style Hash

Be warned: this is a healthy but filling meal–I over served and as a result am quite stuffed.

This is peasant fare: hearty, filling, boldly flavored, and quite possibly ugly, although that last one is in the eye of the beholder so I will leave it up to you to decide. It is also fairly economical, making use of cheap meat (i.e., ground); dried legumes; pantry staples such as spices and dried fruit (for us at least); cheap, common pantry vegetables such as onions, garlic and potatoes; and because I needed to make it big (because my meat came packaged in 1 pound packages and I wanted the turkey and the beef), it will last us several nights. The kitchen sink pretty much refers to my pantry–if you keep other stuff in your pantry you should adjust it to what sounds good to you. I thought it was extra fabulous served with this tomato relish, although any flexible (i.e., not full of clashing spices or flavors) chutney or relish would work. Or maybe just a squirt of lemon juice followed by a drizzle of honey if you have no relish and it seems like it needs something.

Laura’s Kitchen Sink Picadillo Style Hash

1-2 T olive oil
1 head garlic, minced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced and then cut crosswise in half
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground coriander
1/2 t crumbled Mexican oregano
1/4 t New Mexico chile powder
1/4 chipotle chile powder
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (I used crushed fire roasted and wished I had not)
1 cup small dried fruit of choice (I used chopped prunes and whole golden raisins)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
3-4 T capers (olives would sub fine but I never have olives around)
a few glugs of red wine vinegar, as needed to taste at end
chile pepper flakes for those who like things hotter

redskin potatoes, smashed and mixed with butter and sour cream, for serving with dish

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the garlic and fry, stirring, for about 1 minute, until golden and fragrant. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until quite caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all spices and mix in.

Add the ground meats, breaking them up as you put them in, and mix them into the ingredients. Cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the meats are completely cooked through. Add the tomatoes, capers, dried fruit and chickpeas, and cook another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add the vinegar for brightness at the end, as needed. Served over smashed potatoes.