Tamales Cubanos

The Three Guys From Miami’s Cuban tamales mix small pieces of pork through their corn-and-masa mixture before wrapping it in dried corn husks. This selected route uses fresh sweet corn, butter and white wine, with the authors’ own olive-oil sofrito.

The fatty pork is cut into pieces no more than two inches thick or three inches long, salted with a shaker and placed in a large saucepan. Water barely covers it, with two supplied peeled garlic cloves and a tablespoon of vinegar. It boils, then simmers uncovered until the water evaporates. The pork browns in its own rendered fat, is removed, has excess fat trimmed if present and is broken into small pieces with the selected knife.

Fresh corn kernels are sliced from the cob and processed with the selected butter to a coarse mixture with visible kernels. The mixture leaves the processor and receives warm chicken broth, masa harina and Bijol. Separately, supplied finely chopped onion and green pepper soften in olive oil, with occasional stirring. Supplied minced garlic fries for another two to three minutes; tomato paste mixed with warm water and the selected white wine join them for a ten-minute simmer, retaining the oil.

The pork, vegetables and corn mixture go into a large cooking pot with supplied lemon juice, salt and black pepper. They cook over low heat for about twenty minutes with frequent stirring until thick. More masa or broth may be added to make a stiff but pliable paste, and salt is adjusted before the mixture leaves the heat and cools.

The dried husks are soaked in hot water before use. Two husks overlap on the table, receive some mixture in the center and fold across the filling and then from the ends; string secures each parcel. The tamales stand on end in a large pot with about two inches of water under a cover. The water boils, then the parcels simmer or steam for ninety minutes to two hours, with occasional water-level checks. The parcels are served freshly cooked.