Cazuela

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Cazuela

Cazuela is a name for several hearty dishes, mainly in South America. It comes from the cazuela, a traditional clay pot used for cooking. The ingredients and exact method vary by region, but a common feature is a flavorful stock built from cooking meat and vegetables.

In Chile, cazuela is a well-known version. The meat (usually beef or chicken) is boiled with onions and carrots, while other ingredients are boiled separately. The meat stock is combined with the vegetable stock and served with squash, one large potato or a few small ones, green beans, cooked rice, and corn. It is often topped with fresh coriander, parsley, or ají verde. People typically drink the stock first, then eat the meat and larger vegetables, though they can be eaten together as well. Leftovers are sometimes chopped and mixed with peas to make another stew called carbonada. The Chilean version has roots in a Mapuche stock called korrü.

Cazuela also appears in other forms. In Puerto Rico, it is a crustless banana-leaf pie eaten at Christmas, made with batata, calabasa, raisins, ginger, coconut milk, eggs, butter, and flour or rice flour, with possible additions like sweet plantain or breadfruit. In southern Arizona, cazuela can mean a dish with dried beef (carne seca or machaca) plus potatoes, garlic, green chiles, and herbs.