Cuban Okra Stew (Quimbombó Guisado)

Season the pork cubes with half the salt and the black pepper. Heat the oil or lard in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches, about 3 minutes per side, until deeply colored. Transfer to a plate; the browned bits left in the pot build the stew's flavor.

• 600 g pork
• 2 tbsp oil or lard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

✅ Done when: pork is browned on all sides and no longer pink inside

Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and green pepper to the same pot, and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, oregano and bay leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomato darkens and smells sweet rather than sharp — this is the sofrito that gives the stew its deep flavor.

• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 bay leaves

✅ Done when: the tomato mixture turns a deep brick-red and smells sweet, not sharp