Belizean Picadillo – Flavorful & Spicy Sunday Black Dinner with a Twist

Belizean Picadillo is in the family of “black dinner.” Depending on which culture, whether, Creole, Garifuna, Maya, or Mestizo, you may have enjoyed Black Dinner, Relleno, Picadillo, or other variations like Pork Relleno, Chicken Relleno, or even Beef (Res) Relleno. Chirmole is also very similar. These dishes all share black recado as the base of the soup broth. The basic recipe below is very similar to Chilmole and typical Relleno, but this time with pork and egg meatballs, making it Belizean Picadillo.

Belizean Picadillo Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork or ground turkey (or use plant-based ground meat for a vegetarian/vegan option)
• Seasonings (See below)
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large potato
• 1 large onion
• 4 eggs (or use an egg substitute for a vegan option)
• 10 cups chicken broth (or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan option)

Picadillo Seasonings:

• ½ bar chilmole black seasoning (black recado recipe)
• ½ tsp whole allspice seeds
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 leaves oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Boil the eggs. Separate the whites from the yolks and chop the whites.
2. In a coffee mill, grind the seasonings together, except for the onion and garlic.
3. Add half of the seasoning mixture and the chopped egg whites to the ground pork or turkey (or plant-based ground meat). Add one raw whole egg (or egg substitute) and mix everything.
4. Divide the meat mixture into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a ball, placing an egg yolk in the center of each ball.
5. For the broth: Prepare the broth by mixing 10 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of consommé de pollo (or about 5 chicken bouillon cubes), or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan option.
6. Add the remaining seasonings to the pot and bring it to a boil. Add three epazote leaves (available at a Mexican grocery store).
7. Gently drop the meatballs into the boiling broth. Add the chopped potatoes and reduce the heat to a medium simmer for 30 minutes. The meatballs will float to the surface as they cook.
8. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and serve your Belizean Picadillo hot with corn tortillas. Enjoy your flavorful and spicy Sunday dinner!