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Nacatamal

Name: Nacatamal
Total time: 240 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Nicaragua
Ingredients: 400g Corn grits; 400g Pork Shoulder; 80ml Vegetable Oil; 2 tsp Chicken bouillon; 1 tbsp Achiote paste; 100ml Orange juice; 60g Rice; 2 Potato; 2 Tomato; 1 Onion; 1 Green Bell Pepper; A pinch Mint Leaves; To taste Banana Leaves; 2 tsp Salt; 600ml Water

Main Dish

⏱ 240 min

👥 Serves 8

Difficulty ⭐⭐⭐

Corn dough wrapped around pork, rice, and potatoes and steamed for hours in banana leaves — Nicaragua's weekend tamal.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

The nacatamal is Nicaragua's traditional tamal: lard-enriched corn dough is topped with achiote-tinted pork, rice, potatoes, tomato, onion, bell pepper, mint, and more, wrapped in banana leaves, tied with string, and steamed for hours. Eating them with coffee on weekend mornings is a Nicaraguan custom.

🌆 Where it's eaten: On a Sunday morning in Nicaragua, banana-leaf parcels lifted from a big pot are opened to reveal steaming orange dough and pork.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 8)

Corn grits 400g
Pork Shoulder 400g
Vegetable Oil 80ml
Chicken bouillon 2 tsp
Achiote paste 1 tbsp
Orange juice 100ml
Rice 60g
Potato 2
Tomato 2
Onion 1
Green Bell Pepper 1
Mint Leaves A pinch
Banana Leaves To taste
Salt 2 tsp
Water 600ml

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Cut the pork into large pieces and marinate overnight with the achiote, orange juice, and a little salt.
Add hot water, stock powder, salt, and vegetable oil to the corn grits to make a smooth dough, and mix in a little of the marinade.
Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes and slice the potatoes, tomato, onion, and green pepper into rounds.
Spread dough on banana leaves, top with pork, rice, vegetables, and mint, wrap, and tie with string.
Arrange in a big pot, add water, cover, and steam-simmer for 3 hours.

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