Tamal en Cazuela (Cuban Tamal Casserole)

Cuban tamales are made with cornmeal dough and juicy Cuban roast pork all wrapped up in corn husks. Just picture tender, braised mojo-marinated pork chunks cooked in sweet and savory cornmeal and tomato-based stew. Que rico!

This traditional stew is similar to porridge and has a polenta-like consistency, but don’t mistake it for sweet majarete. This cornmeal stew is savory, thick, and smooth but not gritty. Let me show you how to make it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Boneless pork shoulder. I like boneless so it’s easier to cut into pieces. You can also use leftover lechon asado (Cuban roast pork). I wouldn’t recommend pork butt since it has more fat than pork shoulder.

Mojo marinade. This citrus marinade is made of orange, lemon, and lime juice, amongst other ingredients, and it gives the pork that classic Cuban citrus flavor. You can use the store-bought kind or make your own using my easy mojo criollo recipe.

Finely ground yellow corn meal + Cream-style sweet corn. The traditional way to make this recipe is to use real corn kernels and fresh ground corn however, my goal is always to make recipes that are approachable and accessible to anyone in the country. After testing a few variations, I found that using a mixture of finely ground yellow cornmeal with creamy canned sweet corn provided a great consistency and delicious flavor.

Sofrito. Green peppers, onions, and garlic. The base of most Cuban dishes is Cuban sofrito and it’s what gets this party going!

“It was so easy and it tasted just like a tamal without the hard work!” —Sylvia

Recommended For This Recipe

Dutch Oven

I use a 6-quart Dutch Oven often when I’m making soups and stews and even when I’m cooking other recipes that require long hours of cooking.

Instructions

Don’t let this recipe intimidate you! This recipe cooks low and slow and the result will be well worth the wait.

Brown the pork . In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil at medium-high heat. Remove pork from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Brown the pieces of pork on all sides, in batches, for about 8-10 minutes. Remove the cooked pork pieces with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Sauté the sofrito. In the same Dutch oven with the pork drippings, add the onions and green peppers. Sauté at medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Next, stir in corn mixture from the food processor, cooked pork pieces, dry cooking wine, tomato sauce, and water. Reduce heat to low.

Consistency

The consistency should be smooth and thick like porridge or polenta rather than runny or gritty.

If the stew is not thick, stir in cornmeal in 1/4 cup increments (or less) until thickened.

If it’s too thick, add water in 1/4 cup increments (or less) until smooth. Eyeball it until you get a perfectly thick consistency.

Storage Tips

You can transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days. I would not recommend freezing this dish as it will not freeze well.