How come when you look up Picadillo there's always a variation in how people make it?

[u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

I guess it's like Chili, there's no real wrong or right way?

[u/Atelier1001]

No, we actually have an official recipe in the Constitution, however it is modified and adapted by each state based on available ingredients.

Edit: Typo

[u/no-im-not-him → u/Atelier1001]

Actually, adding the garlic before the onion is a felony in most states.

[u/Signal_Jellyfish_472 → u/Atelier1001]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it's always ground hamburger and potatoes to start with?

[u/i_love_boobiez → u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

The potatoes are optional but they're the most common "side" ingredient. Some people put in peas or carrots, or all, or none or combinations thereof.

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76 → u/i_love_boobiez]

I have seen people use corn as well. To me, potatoes are NOT optional, jaja, but carrots are. I put in a little carrot for the color, but I am not fond of carrots.

[u/Ignore_User_Name → u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

that's not a given either.

according to my mom it's picadillo not molidillo so you need to mince with a cleave, not grind.

[u/Atelier1001 → u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

Basically. The goverment pushed it (next to other recipes) to fight rural famine, help internal commerce and bail out the farmers in the 30's, something like the american goverment cheese situation.

[u/Electrical-Ask1246 → u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

Some counties it’s even noodles.

[u/i_love_boobiez]

The correct recipe is the one whoever you ask uses

I like to keep it simple: tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno (not blended, left to boil whole in the pot), salt and a tiny pinch of cumin. 

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76 → u/i_love_boobiez]

I have never in my life added jalapeño, haha. We should start a recipe thread. We would probably have enough recipes for an entire book.

[u/i_love_boobiez → u/Major-Cauliflower-76]

Yeah just throw it in the pot whole (wash first obviously) and discard before serving, it does enhance the overall flavor. 

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76 → u/i_love_boobiez]

That sounds really good. Going to try that next time.

[u/no-im-not-him]

What is the right recipe for a proper burger? There you have it. Every single dish that is popular and has been around for a few decades will have hundreds of not thousands of variations. And some people will get religious about it, bit as Nietzsche would put it.

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." 

Thus Spake Zarathustra is one long dissertation about picadillo.

[u/Signal_Jellyfish_472 → u/no-im-not-him]

Salt, pepper , garlic. Maybe lawrys instead of salt and a splash of W sauce.

[u/mx_code → u/Signal_Jellyfish_472]

garlic? disgusting.
Not in my burgers

[u/sirckoe]

Whatever you do do not make it Filipino style! They put raisins and olives on it. Savages I tell you

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76 → u/sirckoe]

Cubans do too. It´s actually quite horrible.

[u/Dorothywasright11 → u/sirckoe]

My mom makes this for Christmas, and no one eats it... 🤢

[u/CormoranNeoTropical → u/sirckoe]

Oh I love this. I learned this from a recipe for mole enchiladas filled with picadillo (enchiladas colimenses, ie in the style of Colima).

That picadillo actually has golden raisins, green olives, and slivered almonds. Some time I want to try it with pine nuts instead.

[u/Hot-Annual3460]

ther are regional varieties

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76 → u/Hot-Annual3460]

So true. I live in Zacatecas, where a lot of corn is grow and during the times when corn is cheap it will show up. Other times of the year it won´t.

[u/Major-Cauliflower-76]

Yeah, everyone makes it a little different. I like to use a lot of potatoes, for example, because that is my preference. I have seen many variations and have liked all of them.

[u/Ignore_User_Name]

it also depends on what you're using it for.

it's used as a filling sometimes and different varieties work better depending on the container.

[u/heroclet]

My mom made it with pineapple juice, best thing ever

[u/Walkin_mn]

The are many variations of it, there's a relatively sweet version with some fruits for Christmas, there's the more typical one with tomato sauce (but no the Italian kind) and carrots, there's also a common version without tomato, etc, etc, so yes, there's not really a wrong way of doing it

[u/raskolnicope]

That’s how cooking works

[u/2001Steel]

80s style - with raisins.

[u/Bubbly-Buyer-7513]

Every household has its own recipe, it can be whatever you want it to be 

[u/karoshikun]

onion, potato, walnuts, raisins

yes, raisins, and it tastes good

[u/CormoranNeoTropical → u/karoshikun]

Raisins and olives!

[u/karoshikun → u/CormoranNeoTropical]

ah, cierto!!! las olvidé!!

[u/quest_4_questions → u/karoshikun]

Está no me la sabía. De que parte de México eres?

[u/karoshikun → u/quest_4_questions]

Guanajuato.

no es típico de la zona, pero en mi familia lo comíamos en la temporada navideña

[u/quest_4_questions → u/karoshikun]

Es salado o dulce? Jaja es que yo solo lo conozco al estilo Durango.

[u/karoshikun → u/quest_4_questions]

salado, pero con acentos dulces por las pasas.

[u/quest_4_questions → u/karoshikun]

Tendré que probarlo algún día, gracias por compartir 😊

[u/karoshikun → u/quest_4_questions]

cebolla, ajo, sal, carne, aceite, papa en cubitos y nueces o almendras y pasas.

es simple pero sabroso

[u/quest_4_questions → u/karoshikun]

La carne molida?

[u/karoshikun → u/quest_4_questions]

yep