This preparation of unwrapped tamales comes to the United States from Cuba. Tamales, traditionally prepared in a cornhusk wrapping, are an ancient Mesoamerican dish, dating to about 5000 BCE. The name “tamale” comes from the Nahuatl Indian word tamalli, meaning “wrapped.” This Cuban dish combines meat with a cornmeal mixture to create a thick, savory porridge. In the US, Cuban dishes like this are most commonly found in Florida, where many Cuban immigrants settled in the 1960s. Tamal en cazuela is easy to make.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
Total Time
5 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large green pepper, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil, for frying
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup red wine
- 2 cups cornmeal
- ¼ cup butter
- 1½ cups masa harina
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¼ tsp bijol (annato seed powder)
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- In a large pan set over medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry the pork until cooked, about 5–8 minutes.
- Add onion and green pepper and cook over low heat until onions are soft, 5–7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato sauce, and wine, simmering on medium low until heated through.
- In a medium mixing bowl, blend masa harina with cornmeal.
- Add chicken broth and bijol powder to the corn mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add cornmeal-broth mixture to the pan with the meat-tomato mixture.
- Blend in lemon juice.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 60 minutes, until thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
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