War Hero Food – from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen
There is a direct line from our senses to our memories – especially smell and taste.
The comments I have gotten so far in response to this feature attest to that. The smell and flavor of Cuban food has a certain distinction. It is inexorably linked to our best memories of family - safety and comfort and all things familiar.
I was hesitant at first to share my recipes, because we Cubans are sooo opinionated about everything. Especially our food.
“NO ONE makes (fill in the blank with your favorite Cuban dish) like my abuela.”
And you know what? It’s true.
My four kids will tell you the same thing about me. They think I am an amazing cook and will eat just about anything I serve them. The only things they ever question are what they consider to be “Guajiro Food” or what’s known in my house as “War Hero Food.”
War Hero Food falls under the following categories:
Anything thick or with texture.
Puré or Potaje.
Does it involve root vegetables?
Can it be eaten with either a spoon OR a fork? =D
This particular blend of tastes actually surprised them. (“Hey, Mikey!”)
I know all you Babalú War Heroes will enjoy it, too.
Tamal en Cazuela
1 lb. Lean boneless pork shoulder cut into very small bite-size cubes (or you could just grind it – I prefer the bits of pork)
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
Juice of 1 or 2 limes
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion – finely chopped
¼ green bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. cumin
1 ½ cups yellow corn meal
2 (14 oz.) cans sweet CREAM STYLE corn
2 cups water
1 tsp.Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
1) Squeeze the lime over the pork bits and garlic. (I LOVE lime in anything – so to me, more is better.)
2) In a large frying pan, brown the lime-drenched pork with the chopped garlic over medium-high heat. (careful not to burn the garlic, or it will get bitter.)
3) Turn down the heat and add olive oil, onion, and bell pepper and sauté until onion is translucscent.
4) Add tomato sauce and wine. Let it simmer on low while you prepare the corn mixture:
5) Mix together the corn meal, cumin, salt, pepper, and sweet creamed corn – put it in a food processor or blender and let it whirl until it's well blended and you get a thick liquid.
6) Put this mixture into a big pot. Add the water and stir together. Add the contents of the frying pan.
7) Cook over medium heat until it starts bubbling (just a few minutes). Then simmer on low for about 20 minutes stirring often to keep from sticking.
When you can do "The Amazing Spoon Trick," you'll know it's done. =D
Bless you! This brings such wonderful memories of my maternal abuela's awesome (to use a much overused term)tamal en cazuela - I can still taste it. This is a keeper.
Oh my gosh...this is heaven sent!! I always thought you have to grind dozens of mazorcas for hours in order to make it......yellow corn meal? ah....well off to the market I go.......Gracias Marta
Marta - this is going to be Saturday's dinner!!!! I can't wait!!! Guess the diet has gone to hell in a hand basket. Oh well.
I live in California and have not had tamal en casuela in probably 10 years. I have not cooked it and most restaurants do not server it as a daily menu option. Wow, I'm going to attempt to cook it this weekend!
Jose.
Matha,
I was showing your recipe to our secretary here in the office because I know that she love to cook. Is there a place where I can easily go back to your previous posting where I can show her the “ajiaco” and “pasteles de guayaba”. Since she is not Hispanic I think that she is going to like those two dishes better than the “tamales”. I love “tamales” but the test can be a bit choking for an Italian-American girl.
Thanks!
Vic,
just dop a search for "Marta's Cuban American kitchen" here on the blog and all her recipes will come up.
Marta,
Te felicito! this sounds great. Earlier this week I tried the "crock pot lechon" and it was awesome. My 17month old daughter loved it too, it was her first lechon. thanks.
See marta? Youre a natural. I can see it now:
"Marty's Cuban-American Criollo Kitchen, Thursdays at 7 pm, on the Food Network." Rachel rae eat you heart out.
Between the photos, the recipe and the comments my mouth is watering. How much longer to lunch?
For those of us who are "all thumbs" in the kitchen, how about "Marta's Cantinas a Domicilio"?? Sign me up!
Marta:
Te la comiste! To simplify such a difficult dish without giving up on flavor. WOW! When I was a kid in Cuba, this was an all day affair. First, harvesting the corn, then peeling it (Que picason daba eso) and saving the leaves for Tamal en hojas. Followed by grinding baskets of corn in that machine you attach to a table and crank by hand. And then making the sofrito with all the goodies. I'm exhausted just from typing it! My sister and I used to climb up on our "Taureticos" to help our mother and grandmother. After so many years, I can still taste it.
Jewbana -
My own ancient Cuban cookbook starts this recipe with: "24 mazorcas de maiz," then goes on to explain the setting for the grinder and what to do with the gallon of water you've soaked the cobs in,etc.
No, thanks.
If being Cuban has taught me anything, it's how to "resolver." =D
Buen Provecho!
Finally. Will make this asap
question: if you wanted to grate the fresh corn yourself, would that replace the corn meal? I wonder how using polenta would taste too.
thanks
Vic:
You are wrong. Your Italian-American girlfriend will love tamal en cazuela. It is almost identical to the classic Italian polenta.
Cigar Mike -
The fresh corn would replace the combination of creamed corn and corn meal. You'd have to add much more water, too, and strain the corn.
Polenta would make it much thicker, I think. But I've never tried it.
Try it this simple way first and then mess with it when you're nice and full. =D
Good luck!
Marta-I placed this recipe just near the top of my "things to do list" just between the Crockpot Ajiaco and the Crockpot Costillas. BTW I have never cooked my favorite Cuban side dish "Moros y Cristianos" or "Congri" as we called it in my family. I bet you have a good recipe for this. (Hint, hint.)
oh man my third favorite dish from the pure category. Recuerdo mucho cuando chiquito comiendo esto en casa de mi abuela. Y entonce cuando yo estaba mas grande, mi mama lo preparo como abuela. Ahora lo hago aves en cuando por mi novia y yo. I'm teaching her how to make it, so she can make it for us and the family. It also goes good with platanitos maduros, a little ketchup y picante (like you would a tamal)
Martha: This tamal recipe is a keeper. Living in South Georgia, my supply of cuban ingredients is very limited, (like buying La Lechonera mojo) or the frozen tamal en cazuela I used to buy in South Florida. I really appreciate this site so I can fix cuban food for my gringo spouse and son.
[...] section. It’s in a tube and requires refrigeration.You can check out Marta’s version of Tamal en Casuela over at Babalu Blog. Share and Enjoy, Por Favor:Un poquito mas:Made to OrderWhen it [...]