Carne molida translates as “ground meat,” but don’t let the simple name fool you into thinking it is a boring dish! It is easy to throw together on a busy weeknight and is full of flavor, thanks to the sofrito cooking base. This is how Milagros learned to make this dish in Puerto Rico. You can serve this as a quick main protein or use it as a filling for Canoas de Plátanos Maduros, Alcapurrias or Pastelillos. This dish also freezes well if you make a double batch.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp (55 g) Sofrito
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp fine Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 lb (905 g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
- 1 medium yellow potato, cut into ½” (1.3-cm) dice
- ½ cup (65 g) diced carrot
- 15 green Manzanilla olives, sliced
How to Make It
- In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sofrito, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 to 4 minutes, until sizzling and fragrant (longer if using frozen sofrito).
- Add all the remaining ingredients, except the olives. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally to break up the meat.
- Lower the heat to low or medium-low to bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more, until the potatoes and carrot are tender when pierced with a fork.
