Tamal en Cazuela (Cuban Corn and Pork Pot)
A soft, creamy cornmeal 'tamal in a pot', cooked with a garlicky pork and tomato sofrito until thick like polenta. All the flavour of tamales without any wrapping.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Brown the pork
Heat the olive oil in a 4-litre heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the salt and brown it for 8 minutes, stirring often, until golden on all sides.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g pork
- 1½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: pork is golden brown on all sides
Make the sofrito
Add the onion and green pepper to the pot and cook for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cumin for 1 minute, then add the tomato passata and cook for 3 more minutes.
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 150 g tomato passata
✅ Done when: onion and pepper are soft and the tomato sauce has darkened slightly
Add the stock
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Whisk in the cornmeal
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Cook until thick
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Serve
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Brown the pork
Heat the olive oil in a 4-litre heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the salt and brown it for 8 minutes, stirring often, until golden on all sides.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g pork
- 1½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: pork is golden brown on all sides
Make the sofrito
Add the onion and green pepper to the pot and cook for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cumin for 1 minute, then add the tomato passata and cook for 3 more minutes.
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 150 g tomato passata
✅ Done when: onion and pepper are soft and the tomato sauce has darkened slightly
Add the stock
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Whisk in the cornmeal
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Cook until thick
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Corn was a staple of the Taíno people, and the Spanish brought pork and the sofrito. Tamal en cazuela is the easy, everyday version of Cuban tamales: instead of wrapping each one in corn husks, everything is cooked together in one pot.
Traditionally it was made with freshly grated corn; today most families use cornmeal, which is quicker and available all year.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Creamy, savoury and filling, it's a humble comfort dish that brings back childhood memories for many Cubans.
💡 Fun Fact
Leftover tamal en cazuela sets firm as it cools and can be sliced and fried the next day.
All over Cuba
22.40°N, -79.97°W
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