Cuban Dish

To Make the Filling:

Salt the pork well and place in a large pot. Add just enough water to cover the meat. Add the garlic cloves and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until all of the water has boiled away. Turn the heat up and fry the pork pieces until lightly browned, not crispy. Remove the pork from the pot and break into small pieces.

Grind the corn in a food processor with the lard until you get a coarse mixture; you should still be able to see corn kernels. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add chicken stock and masa harina and blend until well combined. Add a dash of annatto powder and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and green pepper until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the watered tomato paste and the wine and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large pot over low heat, combine the cooked pork, corn mixture, sautéed vegetables and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens.

Add more masa or stock as needed so that the mixture becomes a stiff pliable paste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and let cool.

To Assemble to Tamale:

On a clean, flat working surface, overlap two corn husks. Spoon some of the corn mixture in the center of the two corn husks. Fold the short sides of the corn husks over the filling and then fold the top and bottom; tie with string.