Entree: Brazil – Goias – Pamonha Salgada (Savory steamed corn paste wrapped in corn husks, often filled with sausage and cheese)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

- 6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed, about 6 cups (900 g)
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) black pepper
- 8 oz (225 g) linguiça, casing removed and chopped
- 4 oz (115 g) queijo minas or queijo coalho, grated
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup/80 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 6 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- Corn husks for wrapping

Instructions

1. Prepare the corn: cut kernels from the ears and place them in a blender. Add the milk, melted butter, salt, and pepper; blend to a coarse-smooth purée (do not overblend to a completely smooth liquid).
2. Cook the filling: heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent, add garlic and chopped linguiça and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in grated queijo just to combine, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Assemble: soften corn husks in hot water for a few minutes until flexible; drain and pat dry. Lay a husk flat, place 2–3 tbsp of the corn batter in the center, press a spoonful of the linguiça-cheese filling into the middle, then cover with another 2–3 tbsp of batter. Fold and tie the husk securely with kitchen twine or another husk strip.
4. Steam: arrange filled husks upright in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam for 45–60 minutes, until batter is set and firm to the touch.
5. Finish and serve: remove from steamer, let rest 5 minutes, untie and serve warm. Pamonhas are traditionally eaten directly from the husk.