Let’s talk about picadillo for a minute, because it is crazy good. Popular in Spain, Latin American, and the Philippines, picadillo is usually composed of ground beef, tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, peppers, olives, and a host of other savory ingredients. It can be served over rice, folded into a taco, stuffed into a Cuban pastry—the possibilities are endless, really.
Such possibilities take on a new and interesting light when placed in the hands of an expert. Take, for example, Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson, the chef at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill and the Highline Ballroom. Raised in Jamaica and living in New York City, he is no stranger to combining flavors and cuisines to create amazing dishes.
For our non-Burger ground beef cookbook, This Is Not A Hamburger Cookbook, Chef Patrick contributed one of the most decadent and, quite frankly, gorgeous takes on picadillo we’ve seen in a while. Check out the recipe below, and enjoy!
Smoked Ground Beef and Smoked Brisket Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 1 cup Diced Onion
- 1 cup Diced Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme
- 1/2 cup Diced Carrot
- 1/2 cup Diced Scallion
- 1/2 cup Black Raisin
- 2 pounds Ground Beef, Schweid & Sons Butcher’s Blend
- 1 cup Smoked Diced Brisket
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Memphis Barbecue Dry Rub
- 1 cup Barbecue Sauce
Directions
- Put skillet on the stove with oil when the oil is hot.
- Add fresh ingredients. Cook for 3 minutes on low flame until medium tender.
- Add ground beef and diced smoked brisket with remaining dry ingredients, raisin, and barbecue sauce. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on low flame.
- Serve over white rice with vegetable of choice.
About Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson
Chef Patrick began cooking as a young child in St. Ann’s Parish, Jamaica. In high school, he interned at Club Caribbean and was offered a job immediately after graduation. He worked in several resorts and then took his talents to the seas, working for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and Disney Cruise lines. After returning to the land, he settled in New York City where he took the Executive Chef position at Negril Restaurant.
Chef Patrick now delights customers at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill and the Highline Ballroom in the heart of New York City. When he isn’t in the kitchen overseeing anywhere from 40 to 50 people, he’s handing out samples in Times Square or giving presentations in Bloomingdales or Macy’s.
Chef Patrick pushes the boundaries in the kitchen, creating a truly unique dining experience born out of Caribbean spices, Southern cooking and an American flair. Each dish he creates is a work of art, not only in flavor combinations, but on the plate as well.
