December is a time when our bellies start telling our brains what to do. The day after Thanksgiving, I start making tamales. Large pots get dusted off, ingredients are gathered, and family members with willing (and unwilling) hands are phoned for assistance. A true labor of love, making tamales takes about 48 hours in my household, and is mucho trabajo.

This holiday, I decided to look to different countries around Latin America for their tamal traditions. I have always been intrigued with tamal de olla, or tamal de cazuela, unwrapped, large tamales that are assembled in a baking dish. Tamal de Olla uses the same ingredients as the slightly more familiar, individually portioned Mexican tamal but is assembled as one single oversized tamal in a casserole. What a time saver!

So this year, I decided to try making a Panamanian tamal de olla recipe during my annual tamale marathon. After using up 25 pounds of masa, a gallon of chile puree, 15 pounds of pork, 2 chickens, a gallon of refried beans, and stock piling 50 dozen of my regular tamales, I was grateful to have a cozy dish stashed aside for dinner.

With lard in my hair, reeking of pork broth, chile under my nails, and a corn shuck stuck to my shoe, it was nice to have something different when my brother and his family stopped by for dinner.

Popular in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, the recipe for tamal de olla varies from country to country. Panama’s traditional tamal de olla features raisins, olives, capers and vinegar, spotlighting Middle Eastern flavors that the Spanish brought with them. Mixing savory meats with dried fruit and sour accents are usually seen during the holidays throughout Europe and Latin America.

 

Panamanian Style Tamale Casserole (Tamal de Olla Estilo Panameño)

For the Sofrito
  • 1 pound onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
 
For the Masa (Dough)
  • 1 pound harina de maiz (use pre-cooked variety such as Goya or P.A.N. brands)
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 corns on the cob
 
For the Filling
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 pounds pork, not too lean, with visible fat, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup olives stuffed with pimento
  • 1/2 cup capers

Get the fulll recipe.