Since Habana Grill shut down last year, there has been a big Cuban void in my life. You see, Cuban food (and drink) is my downfall. I just can’t get enough. I like the spices and flavors and the way the food is prepared. At Habana Grill, my wife enjoyed the veggie Cuban Haystack with sweet maduros or tostones and I liked the Carne Asada, the Ropa Vieja, the Lechon Asado (favorite), the Vaca Frita, and on and on. And don’t forget the cocktails, the Mojito or the Caipirinha, or the Sangria.
I haven’t had any of these dishes since Habana Grill closed. There doesn’t seem to be a comparable Cuban restaurant in the area. Now, I know some of the Mexican restaurants, Garibaldis and Habaneros, serve some of these dishes. While good, they are not the same. Habana Grill had an unmatched Cuban authenticity that I haven’t found anywhere else… yet.
The point of this is not to cry over the closing of my favorite restaurant, but to introduce you to another fantastic Cuban dish.
Early in my career, I would frequent a hole in the wall dive called Black Bean Deli. It’s been years since I even thought about the place. Recently, a friend mentioned it and got me thinking about going back. It’s a little far from me now, so I haven’t been able to go. But my craving for their PICADILLO was just more than I could handle. So, this past weekend, instead of going there, I decided to make my own Picadillo and see how it turned out. Picadillo is a sort of a Cuban Hash, almost a stew or closer to a chili. It’s slow cooked and has great flavor.
So, I set up my grill’s side burner to do this outside while watching football (GO DAWGS) on the back porch with my son. It was a great day for it, nice and cool outside. Let me tell you, it turned out great. It was so good, in fact, I thought I would share the recipe with you. Please give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
Obviously, you can do this inside, but if the weather is nice, take it out back.
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