Tamal en Cazuela

Jamie Silva’s tamal en cazuela cooks selected boneless pork-shoulder pieces in a thick corn mixture, using supplied yellow cornmeal and cream-style sweet corn. Her preparation returns the same browned pork to the Dutch oven and finishes with supplied chopped parsley.

The supplied half-inch pork pieces marinate for an hour in prepared mojo in a plastic-covered bowl. A food processor pulses finely ground yellow cornmeal, the two cans of cream-style sweet corn, salt, ground cumin and black pepper into a thick mixture, which is held aside.

A Dutch oven heats olive oil over medium heat. The pork is removed from the marinade, patted dry with paper towels and browned on all sides in batches for eight to ten minutes. A slotted spoon lifts it out to be held aside; the remaining marinade is discarded as Silva clarifies.

The same pork drippings soften supplied finely diced white onion and green bell pepper for about five minutes, followed by supplied minced garlic for a minute. The corn mixture, same pork pieces, selected dry white cooking wine, tomato sauce and water are stirred in, and the heat is reduced to low.

The mixture simmers for thirty to thirty-five minutes with continuous stirring. Extra cornmeal or water may be added in quarter-cup increments to adjust its consistency. When the wooden spoon can stand upright in the Dutch oven, Silva tastes and adjusts the salt, serves immediately and adds the supplied chopped parsley.