RECIPE FOR MEXICAN PICADILLO RECIPES

Steps:

• After rinsing the tomatoes and cutting out the stems, roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
• Saute 1/4 onion in oil over medium heat for a few minutes.  Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute briefly.  Add 1 lb. ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is lightly browned.  (You can drain off some fat if you want.)
• Chop the potato and carrot into smallish pieces (larger pieces will require more simmering time).  Once the beef is lightly browned, add the potato and carrot.  Saute briefly as you gather the additional ingredients.
• For the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture, add the roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 3/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno.  Combine well.
• Add the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture to the beef, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, some freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 cup of stock (or water).  I also add 2 teaspoons of chili powder but that is optional. 
• Combine well and simmer over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked all the way through. 
• Take a final taste for seasoning.  I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch.   Serve immediately.
• If you want to serve your Picadillo with raisins, you can add them to the beef mixture for the last few minutes of the simmer or you can simply add them as a final garnish.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Steps:

• Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, rice, mint, garlic, salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix until well combined. Pinch off 2-ounce portions and gently roll between your palms to form golf ball-size rounds, transferring rounds to a sheet pan. (You should have about 28 meatballs.)
• In large pot, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and potato; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and cumin, and cook over medium, stirring frequently, until fragrant and tomato paste starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer over high.
• Once the stock begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully add the meatballs, one by one, distributing them evenly in the pot until they’re all submerged. If necessary, reduce the heat to reach a low simmer (this will keep the meatballs tender), and cook until the meatballs and rice are cooked through, about 40 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir for the first 20 minutes, otherwise you risk breaking the meatballs apart before they’ve firmed up.) Skim any impurities from the surface as the soup simmers.
• Season to taste with salt. Divide the soup among bowls, about four or five meatballs per portion, and set out bowls of whatever garnishes you like.