WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The Spanish word picadillo comes from the word picar, “to mince”; in Mexico, the dish consists of finely chopped beef stewed with a combination of minced peppers, tomatoes, and sometimes vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. It’s Mexican comfort food at its best. Authentic recipes call for finely chopping the beef and vegetables by hand, but we wanted a quick weeknight option, which meant switching to more convenient ground beef. We also decided to pulse the vegetables in the food processor rather than chop them by hand. Not only was this method faster, but tasters also preferred the rustic texture of the processed onion, red bell pepper, carrots, and potatoes. We kept our onion and pepper separate from the root vegetables as we processed them so that we could bloom the aromatics and concentrate their flavor before cooking the beef. We then added the potatoes and carrots, which we gently simmered until just tender. With our food processor already on the counter, we made a quick tomato and jalapeño puree to serve as the sauce for our picadillo. The fresh tomatoes had a vibrant flavor, but the consistency of the finished sauce was watery. By blending a few corn tortillas into our sauce, we achieved a nice thick texture along with a welcome subtle corn flavor. We stirred fresh cilantro into the finished dish to provide a refreshing note to balance the spiced meat and vegetables. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pulse onion and bell pepper in food processor until broken down into rough ¼-inch pieces, about 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer mixture to bowl.
2. Pulse potatoes and carrots in now-empty food processor until broken down into rough ¼-inch pieces, about 12 pulses; transfer mixture to separate bowl.
3. Process tomatoes, tortillas, jalapeño, and 1½ teaspoons salt in now-empty food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
5. Add onion mixture and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Stir in ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in potato mixture and tomato mixture and bring to simmer.
9. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
10. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.