Philippine Potato-Patty Pot (Picadillo)

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 2 heaping tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1 walnut-sized piece ginger
• 1–2 fresh chili peppers (adjust heat to taste)
• 750 g ground beef
• 750 g waxy potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 500 g okra pods or green beans
• 200 g cooked white beans (or canned)
• 500 ml coconut milk
• 2–3 ripe plum tomatoes (or one small can of peeled tomatoes; 440 g)
• a few stems cilantro leaves
• 2–3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2–3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and finely dice the onions. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil and sauté the onions until translucent. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with the knife edge. Peel the ginger, wash and deseed the chilies. Finely dice both, add to the pot with the garlic, and cook until fragrant and lightly browned. When everything is aromatic, add the ground beef and stir until it loses its red color.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile peel the potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes, and add them to the pot. Pour in a glass of water, season with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer gently over low heat for about 10 minutes.

3. 3.

   Trim the okra pods (remove only the stem ends), wash, and cut into finger-thick pieces. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil and stir-fry the pieces until they are firm; this seals the edges and prevents sticky juices, enhancing flavor. Season with salt and pepper. If fresh okra is unavailable, use green beans instead: trim, wash, chop, blanch in well-salted water until al dente, then shock in ice water to preserve color.

4. 4.

   Add the okra or green beans along with the cooked white beans to the pot. Pour in coconut milk and let everything gently cook through.

5. 5.

   While the mixture cooks, wash the tomatoes, rinse under hot water, peel and deseed them, then dice into cubes. Or simply dice canned tomatoes. Wash the cilantro leaves, pluck the stems, and roughly chop. When the potatoes are tender, add the tomatoes. Finally season the Picadillo with lemon juice, soy sauce, and fish sauce, stirring in the chopped cilantro.