Cuban Tamal en Cazuela Recipe
Tamal en Cazuela translates literally from Spanish to "Tamale in a Casserole," but the name can be misleading. While casseroles are typically baked in a rectangular dish, in Cuba and neighboring countries, cazuela refers to a stew-like dish or a crustless pie cooked on the stovetop in a pot called a cazuela. This Cuban comfort food is made with sweet corn, cornmeal, and braised pork, and it boasts ancient origins deeply rooted in the region's culinary traditions.
Ingredients
- Boneless pork shoulder cut into 1/2-inch pieces - 1.5 lb.
- Olive oil - 3 tbsp
- Large yellow onion, diced - 1
- Bell pepper, diced - 1
- Garlic cloves, minced - 3
- Tomato paste - 6 oz.
- Cumin - 1 tbsp.
- Water - 2 cups
- Spanish cooking wine - 2 cups
- Sweet corn - 2 14 oz. cans
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed - 2 tbsp
- Cornmeal - 2 cups
- Unsalted butter - 3 tbsp
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your pork. Cut into bite-size pieces, about 1-inch cubes, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a food processor, pulse the sweet corn, cornmeal, cumin, salt, and pepper to get a thick texture. Set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, heat butter on medium. Brown the pork on all sides, or about 5-8 minutes. Set pork aside, making sure to leave leftover oil and juices in the Dutch oven.
- Now, add the green peppers and onions into the Dutch oven, using the oil left over from the pork. Sauté until tender for about 3-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute.
- Next, stir in the corn and cornmeal mixture, pork pieces, tomato paste, cooking wine, and water. Reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent burning, as the cornmeal in the mixture will burn and stick easily.
- After simmering, the consistency should be thick like a porridge. If it is not, gradually incorporate more cornmeal until you reach desired consistency. If it is too thick, add water in increments until desired consistency.
- You can use the wooden spoon trick for this dish: simply stick a wooden spoon straight up into the Dutch oven. If your spoon stands straight up, it is ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 827kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 36gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 214mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11g
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