Picadillo Salteado Con Papas (Cuban Beef Hash)

This is my grandmothers recipe for Picadillo (Even though she is Madrileña she lived in Cuba many years and married a Gallego hijo de Español born in Cuba).

She makes a delicious Picadillo. Picadillos vary from household to household. BUT I HAVE SEEN MANY RECIPES THAT ADD STUFF TO "CUBAN" PICADILLOS THAT ARE NONE EXISTENT IN ANY CUBAN PICADILLO EATEN BY A CUBAN IN THEIR HOME!

Picadillo recipes are debatable, some Cubans add raisins some don't but atleast we can agree it's still Cuban.

SUPER SAVORY no raisins (because we don't like sweetness in it but some do)


Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef about 85% lean 15% fat (you don't want greasy Picadillo, or you'll have to take alot of grease out when it releases grease later)
-1/2 green bell pepper finely minced
-1/2 onion finely minced
-4 cloves of garlic crushed and minced (I use a mortar and a pestle to crush to a paste with some salt or a garlic press)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
-8 oz of water (about a cup) or 12 oz. depends
-salt to taste (be careful the olives and capers are very salty and theres already salt if you crushed the garlic with a mortar)
-extra-virgin olive oil (to sautee)
-3-4 medium or small brown potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes rinsed in running water or put in a bowl of water then drained very well prior to deep-frying
-Oil (I use Canola Oil it leaves a clean crisp taste) to deep-fry/ pan-fry the potatoes

Optional Ingredients:
-1/2 cup (about 12) spanish olives stuffed with pimientos sliced (optional)
-1/4 cup capers drained (optional)
Directions:
(1)Heat Oil to deep-fry on medium high until it is hot enough, to check if it is hot enough test it by dipping a wooden spoon if it sizzles/ bubbles around it it is ready takes about 5-10 minutes to heat up.

(2)Add cubed rinsed and drained potatoes to deep-fry until golden brown then drain and set aside on a plate with paper towels (they take about 15 minutes to cook well while they are frying start doing the rest of the stuff)
(3)Heat olive oil in a pan on medium high, sautee onions and bell peppers until fragrant and translucent then add garlic and sautee a bit dont let it brown.

(4)Add ground beef and spread it around, let it cook a bit and break it up so it doesnt clump, destroy the large clumps by breaking it up. When it starts releasing some grease heat the pan to high and don't disturb it let it brown a little and then break up any clumbs and sautee well.


(4)Add tomato sauce, some water and bring to a boil stir a bit, season with cumin, add capers and olives cook uncovered 5 minutes. Then taste it to see if it needs more salt maybe a teaspoon or something if necessary. (I always put the amount of salt Im gonna use on my hand before I throw it in it prevents me from over salting be careful once you add to much salt you can't take it away) TURN STOVE OFF



(5)Now fold in deep-fried potato cubes until well mixed, cover until ready to serve