Chef John's Picadillo

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook, breaking up beef into small pieces with a spoon or spatula until completely loses its pink color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add onion and salt; cook until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, water, and red wine vinegar; cook and deglaze by scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Add currants; bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beef is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Gently stir in olives; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes more.