Ingredients

• 6-7 potatoes
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 level tsp. garlic powder
• 1 level tsp. onion powder
• 1 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup flour

• ½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp. Bi Jol (for color)
• ½ lb. ground beef (prepared: Picadillo)

Directions

• Fill a dutch oven pot halfway with water. Cover pot and heat on a high flame until boiling.
• Meanwhile, clean the whole, unpeeled potatoes under cold running water. Once water is boiling, place potatoes in the pot. Add a dash of salt and boil for 20 minutes.
• Then if they are still a bit hard, boil them for another 10 minutes. After potatoes are done, drain them and let them cool in the pot uncovered for about 2-3 minutes, then peel potatoes by holding it with a fork and slicing skin with a knife and take peel off in pieces.
• Be careful not to burn yourself!
• Put peeled potatoes into a large bowl and start to mash them with a potato masher.
• Add the melted, unsalted butter and keep mashing for a bit. In another small bowl, crack an egg, then mix it up with a fork and add it to the potatoes.
• Add the salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Continue to mash to blend all the ingredients together very well.
• Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, put cornstarch, flour and Bi Jol.
• Blend together with your hand. Set aside.
• Have the prepared ground beef (Picadillo) set aside as well. Then, in a medium size pot, fill with the oil to halfway and heat on a medium flame.
• While oil is heating, you can start to assemble the potato balls:
• Dip your hands into the dry flour mixture, and then take about 3 large tablespoons of potato mixture and roll it into a 3-inch ball. Then poke your fingers into the middle of the ball to make a well.
• Spoon around 1 to 1-1/2 tsp. of the ground beef into the well.
• Then carefully mold it back into a ball.
• Make sure that no meat is sticking out of the ball.
• Place the ball into the dry flour mixture and roll it around to cover it completely. Then take your time to mold it back into a nice looking round ball.
• Then, place the finished ball onto a plate and continue to make the rest of the potato balls, until the oil is heated up enough.
• How to know if the oil is hot enough: Spoon a bit of the ground beef mixture into the oil. If it starts to bubble rapidly, the oil is hot enough!

IMPORTANT: If the oil isn’t hot enough, the potato ball might break in half, which is what you don’t want to happen.

• Once the oil is hot enough, place the potato ball into the oil and fry it for about 2 minutes.
• Then with a fork, carefully lift the ball to check the color all the way around – it should be a rich, golden color.
• Fry for another 2 to 2-1/2 minutes. Remove the ball with a large spoon, drain the oil, and place the ball on another plate.
• After first potato ball is done, lower the flame and continue to make the rest of the potato balls.
• When they are all on the plate, let them cool for a couple of minutes. For an added kick, use some hot sauce!

Enjoy!

our chefs

DERICK LOPEZ

Executive Chef

(929) 349-1080