Tamal En Cazuela (Cuban Pork & Corn Meal Casserole)

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork chunks

2 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion

1 medium green pepper

2 packages of Tamal En Cazuela

1 can of tomato sauce

1/4 cup of dry wine

1 envelope of Sazon Goya Seasoning With Azafran

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 cup of olive oil

Approximately 3 cups of water

Garlic Powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Note: The Tamal En Cazuela comes frozen and I find it in the Cuban freezer section at my supermarket. It comes already seasoned, so all you have to do is add water and cook on low until it thickens. The package says to add 2 cups of water, but I only add one, because I find it's too watery if I add 2 cups. If you can't find it you can use yellow corn meal(the coarse one), follow the directions on the box. And, it may need additional seasoning since you are making it from scratch. You can add a few teaspoons of your sauce to it to give it more flavor. Just make it pretty thick, the same consistency of grits, but a bit thicker. If you have any questions, please email me:).

Season the pork chunks with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

In a skillet with a 1/2 cup of olive oil, brown the pork chunks on both sides.

Take the browned pork chunks out of the skillet and set aside.

Dice up the onion, green pepper & garlic.

In the same skillet cook the diced onion and green pepper for a 3-5 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.

Until it looks like this.

Now add the 1/2 cup of dry wine and let it reduce.

Add all of the remaining ingredients. After you add the tomato sauce fill the can with water and add to the skillet.

Put the pork chunks back into the skillet.
Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to simmer and let it cook for an hour.

Open your 2 packages of frozen Tamal En Cazuela and place in a pot with 2 cups of water.

(My pot is not dirty it's just about 50 years old, and used by many women in my family, who were cookin fools, who had tremendous attitudes by the way, never afraid to speak their minds, and they were also real women, and real LADIES!!!!!!) Don't ask me where that came from.....I probably inherited it from those women!!!!!!!!

You see what happens to me when I start cookin with their pots and pans?????

Anyway, lets go on, shall we.

Heat on low until it starts to thicken.

Keep watching and stirring.

When it has thickened to the consistancy of thick grits, turn the heat down to low and let it set for about 5 minutes.

Don't cover it.

I just love this pot and all the women who cooked with it, too!!

Here's the Cuban bread that I serve with it.

Slice it up like this.

Now we'll plate it up.

Put 2 or 3 big spoonfuls of the corn meal in a bowl.

Then put a couple of spoonfuls of the pork and sauce on top.

And that all there is to it. Mix it up and eat.

You're gonna love the flavors.

This is really comfort food at it's best.

I Wish You Love and Many Different Flavors In Your Life,

Mimi