UPC’s Maduro Beef Picadillo
This has been a LONG week for me! It has nothing to do with the holiday this weekend, and waiting for the weekend to come. It’s actually been so long partly because of social engagements, and partly because of the race last weekend. I’ve been recovering from the race pretty much the entire week, and it’s been a rough recovery. I’ve only had two runs so far this week, and have had to focus most of my workouts this week on strength training. While that’s not so bad in a general sense, the reason that’s tough right now is that I’m still in training! I have 3.5 weeks to go before the big day, a short-list of pretty serious training gaps that I need to try to fill in, and only about 2 weeks where training will even be valuable for me before I will need to start tapering my speed training. Or, stated a different way: I’m feeling a bit of the pressure of race-day approaching. And it would be easier for me if my training were more normal right now. I know, the race this past weekend was part of training, and so is the recovery I’m going through. But that doesn’t make it any easier for me! But enough about training, on to today’s Maduro Beef Picadillo
I do Picadillo Beef often in my home. It’s a fantastic recipe, easy to make, it’s varied enough in flavor that it goes with any season, and nearly any side dish. It really is one of the most versatile recipes in my arsenal, and my wife and I absolutely love to eat it. The best part about it is: it’s really easy to make extra, and it’s every bit as good the next time you get to it!
UPC’s Maduro Beef Picadillo
- 1 lb Grass-Fed Beef
- 2 Maduros, sliced and baked, then chopped (See Baked Maduros for directions)
- 1/2 cup Raisins (I use Organic Thompson Raisins)
- 1 cup Green Olives (I use Organic Olives)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
Serves: 2 (with a little left over)
Cook and Prep time: 15 minutes
1. In a pan, add the beef and maduros along with the coconut oil and cook on medium heat.
2. Stir regularly until the beef is mostly browned, with only a little bit of redness to it.
3. As soon as the beef is mostly browned, add the olives and raisins, and turn the heat up to medium-high, or about a 7 out of 10.
4. Stir this constantly, cooking for another minute or so, until all the beef has browned.
5. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: This is also delicious when combined with hot or spicy spices, like paprika, or other pepper-based spices. The heat melds quite well with the sweetness of the maduros and raisins.
Questions:
- How is your training going?
- Have you had a race recently?
- How is your recovery generally?
- Do you do anything to assist your recovery? Ice? Hot compression? Foam-Rolling or massages?
It looks so good! I love the “earthy” color of the dish! 😀
Thanks Hari!
Looks like a winner… the dish and you in the race 🙂 I have slacked a little on my training, I often have periods like this where I slip and then need to give myself a slap.
Have you ever considered that it’s not actually slacking? Maybe it’s your body’s way of protecting you from over-training. I’ve done quite a lot of reading recently on the ebb-and-flow of our body’s systems, and how they often work best when they’re allowed to build over time, then take a rest period, then continuing the building.
Maybe your body is influencing your “slacking” tendencies to encourage you to give yourself the rest that you need; not just nightly rest, but a prolonged period of low-output, where your body can focus on healing, repairing, and growth.
I rate Glutathione and L Glutamine for recovery. Also for mental clarity! Oh and the most important recovery hack… Plenty of sleep which means lie ins at the weekend!
Yeah – sleep is definitely key!! I’ve been a little under on that lately… Guilty as charged!
Sweet and savory! YUM! Best on the training! 🙂
Thanks Carl! And yes, this is a perfect meal for the night of a hard day of training; or a double-set day like you had yesterday!
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