Cazuela

Cazuela is the name given to many different dishes, especially from South America. The name comes from the word "cazuela," which means "cooking pot" in Spanish. Traditionally, these dishes are cooked in a shallow pot made of unglazed earthenware.

The ingredients and how the dish is made can change depending on the region, but it is usually a flavorful stock made by cooking several kinds of meats and vegetables together. This makes cazuela a delicious and comforting meal enjoyed in many places.

Chilean cazuelas

Cazuela is a popular dish from Chile. It is often made with chicken or beef, but can also use pork, lamb, or turkey.

In Chilean cazuela, the ingredients are cooked separately and then brought together when serving. A common way to make it is by boiling the meat, like beef or chicken, with chopped onions and carrots. The other ingredients are boiled in their own pots. The broth from the meat and vegetables is mixed together. The dish is served with squash, potatoes, green beans, rice, and sweetcorn. It is often garnished with fresh coriander, parsley, or ají verde.

People usually start by drinking the broth and then eat the meat and bigger vegetables, like potatoes or squash, last. Sometimes the meat and vegetables are cut up and eaten together with the broth. Leftovers can be chopped, mixed with green peas, and turned into a stew called carbonada.

The Chilean cazuela has roots in a traditional Mapuche broth called "korrü".

Puerto Rican cazuela

In Puerto Rico, cazuela is a special pie without a crust that is cooked in banana leaves, often made during the Christmas season. It is similar to a pumpkin pie but includes batata (a type of sweet potato), calabasa (Caribbean squash), raisins, ginger, spices, coconut milk, eggs, butter, and bread, flour or rice flour. Some recipes also add sweet plantain, ripe breadfruit, taro, or yuca along with baking powder and lard.

Other regional variations

In southern Arizona, cazuela (sometimes spelled casuela) is often made with special types of dried beef called carne seca or machaca. It is mixed with potatoes, garlic, green chiles, and herbs to create a tasty dish.