Steak Picado

Yum

Let's make some Mexican food! 

This dish was born out of picking what looked good in the market that day.  Walking by the meat counter I spotted some beef cut up for Steak Picado.  An easy stew-like Mexican Dish that is delicious and flavorful!  It sounded good and I've never made it so let's try something new!

I picked up some onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno from the produce section and set off for home.  Time to get out your cast iron skillet!  I love cooking with it as the heat retention is just what this dish calls for.  I use this one.

The recipe I chose calls for Roma tomatoes, but I just used a can of diced tomatoes and it turned out just fine.  The dish is also filled with great spices that give it that unmistakable Mexican flavor I love and crave.  

The dish takes about 1 hour to cook so it might be best as a great Sunday dinner!  The beef is a round steak or thin cut sirloin that has been cut into small bite sized pieces.  First it's stir fried in a skillet, then you do the same with the veggies, then the whole thing is simmered or braised in water for about 40 minutes to tenderize the beef and meld it all together.

Boy is this dish good!  Similar to a stew, you can serve this along side a rice dish such as my Confetti Rice and some tortillas.  They are the perfect vehicles to sop up all the juiciness!

Enjoy!





Steak Picado 


Serves 4
Time:  about 1 hour

1 to 1 1/2 lbs of steak (thin sliced sirloin, or round steak)
2 Tbls canola oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced into 1-inch pieces
2 jalapenos, minced
2 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro or coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
Up to 2 cups water (see directions)

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook until just browned.  Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Meat will not be cooked all the way through at this point.  

Add oil to the skillet and heat about 1 minutes.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, tomatoes (and juice), bell peppers, and jalapeno.  Add the beef back to the skillet and all the seasonings.  Stir to combine.

Add the water slowly to barely cover the beef and vegetable mixture; you may not need all two cups, depending on the size of the skillet.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium low (simmer) and cover with a lid.  Cook about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.  (Note: you don't want the water to evaporate, it should be juicy. If you see that it is, reduce the heat a little and add a touch more water.)  

Serve with a side of Confetti Rice and tortillas.


adapted from Quick and Easy Steak Picado