Tamal en Cazuela — Soft Corn Tamal with Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb Pork Shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 6 ears fresh corn, grated (or 4 cups frozen corn, blended)
• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup grated tomato
• 1 tsp bijol or ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Brown the seasoned Pork Shoulder in olive oil in a heavy pot until crusted on all sides, 8 minutes. Remove and reserve.
2. Build the sofrito in the same pot: onion and pepper 8 minutes, then garlic, cumin, oregano, and bijol for a minute, then the grated tomato reduced until it darkens, 6 minutes.
3. Blend the fresh corn with 1 cup of the stock until smooth, then whisk it together with the cornmeal and remaining stock so there are no lumps before it ever touches heat.
4. Return the Pork Shoulder to the pot, pour in the corn mixture, and cook over medium-low, stirring across the bottom every couple of minutes. It will thicken like polenta over 35–40 minutes.
5. It is ready when a spoon dragged through leaves a track that closes slowly and the raw cornmeal taste is gone. Stir in the lime juice and season hard.
6. Rest 10 minutes off the heat to set, then serve in bowls with fried plantains alongside.