Cuban · snack

Tamales Cubanos

Name: Tamales Cubanos
Prep time: 17 min
Total time: 1 h 17 min
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh corn; 1 lb pork shoulder, diced; 1 onion, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; salt to taste; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup lard; 12 corn husks, soaked for wrapping

Tamales Cubanos reads richness 7.1, umami 6.2 and sweetness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cuban snack, about 1 hr 17 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.7 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.1 · Umami 6.2 · Sweetness 4.5 · Allium 4.2 · Salinity 3.1 · Fruity 2.5 · Earthy 2.4 · Sourness 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Nutty 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 0.8 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (12)

4 cups fresh corn
1 lb pork shoulder, diced
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup lard
12 corn husks, soaked for wrapping

Time & effort: about 1 hr 17 min (17 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 331.4 kcal, 8.5 g protein, 9.2 g fat, 54.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Prepare a masa from ground fresh corn or masa harina mixed with lard, salt, and a little pork broth until soft and pliable.
Cook diced pork with sofrito of onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato, cumin, and oregano until tender.
Spread masa on soaked corn husks, place a spoonful of pork filling in the center, fold, and steam for 1 hour until the masa is firm.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Taco Stuffed Peppers — Tex-Mex
Mesaka'a (Egyptian Eggplant Casserole) — Egyptian
Ѓувеч (Gjuveč, Baked Lamb, Pepper and Rice Tray) — Macedonian
Testi Kebabı (Lamb Sealed and Cooked in a Clay Jug) — Turkish
Pork Katsu Curry — Japanese

Keep reading: what richness, umami, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.