Tamales Tutorial

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas aound the Border Southwest without a huge tamale pot of hot and steaming freshly made tamales. With the endless possibilities of filling recipes and the ease of making these delicious and tasty morsels, who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon cooking up a dozen..or two..or three? The aromas that will fill your home are gratifying enough, but when you offer these delicious treats to family and friends, well, you'll be King or Queen of the holiday kitchen.

Go to these links to grab the easy tutorials in making the best tamales you've ever had.

Part One: This one talks about the husk and chile sauce preparation.

Part Two: This one discusses three different filling preparations.

Part Three: This one discusses masa preparation, assembling, and final cooking instructions.

I hope you take the plunge and try making your own delicious TAMALES this Christmas.

Tamales - Part 2

Part 2

Fillings:

Tamales can be filled with a variety of meats such as pork, beef, or chicken. Other foodstuffs such as chiles, cheese or even beans are used. Nuevo Latino Cuisine has even featured tamales stuffed with mushrooms, seafood or a variety of vegetable fillings.

Shredded chicken, beef, or pork are traditional items, but I have known people to fill their tamales with chile strips topped with cheese such as Asadero or vegetables mixed with chile. Then of course there are the sweet tamales. These don't have a filling but the masa is prepared with cinnamon, anise, raisins and pecans. You could probably even add some chopped Mexican chocolate to these as well.

The following is a simple shredded pork recipe that is most commonly used in making tamales.

Tamales with Shredded Pork and Red Chile

4 to 5 pounds of pork roast (if boneless, 3 pounds)
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons salt

Brown pork roast in large Dutch oven in oil. Add enough water to cover the roast. Add onions, garlic, cumin, and salt. Boil till fork tender, about 2 to 3 hours. When meat is done, remove from stove and let cool.

Discard fat and bones (if any). Drain broth from meat and shred with the use of 2 forks, or by hand, when meat is cool enough. Reserve broth for use in masa preparation.

Shred meat into small strands using 2 forks. Mix meat with 2 cups of chile sauce and simmer for 20 minutes (add broth if needed).
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This filling is one I made to use up some leftover brisket I had in the fridge. I included some sliced, roasted peppers and onions to the filling also.

Tamales with BBQ-Red Chile Brisket Filling

1 10-12 pound brisket
2 cups BBQ Sauce, your favorite
1 cup beef broth
1 batch red chile sauce

Optional
Slices of red, green and yellow peppers, roasted
slices of yellow onion, roasted

Rub salt, pepper, garlic salt on brisket.Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.Place in a large roaster pan, add 2 inches of water. Cook brisket in 225 degree oven for 10 to 12 hours. Check and make sure the water level remains at 2 inches. When done, allow to cool enough to handle. Shred brisket and set aside.

Prepare 1 batch red chile sauce. Mix with 2 cups barbecue sauce and 1 cup beef broth. In large Dutch oven, combine shredded brisket with BBQ-Chile sauce and cook through. Follow Tamale making instructions using the brisket filling in place of the pork or chicken filling for a real Southwestern flavor. Filling should be enough for approximately 8 to 10 dozen tamales, depending on how much you fill each tamale.
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Sweet

1-pound masa flour
½ pound lard, whipped until fluffy
1-teaspoon baking powder
1-tablespoon salt
1-cup broth
1-cup brown sugar
1-cup raisins
1-teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup pecans
½ cup chopped Mexican chocolate, optional

Mix masa, lard, and baking powder together until a small portion (the size of a pea) floats in a glass of cold water. Fold in the rest of ingredients to dough and combine thoroughly. Place 2 tablespoons dough in middle of cornhusk, spreading towards top end and fold over bottom end. Steam tamales same as you would the hot tamales.
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I’m sure with a little imagination, you can up with a variety of fillings of your own. Next post we’ll do Masa Preparation and the Steaming of the tamales.

I meant to have this up yesterday, but Bob’s gout reappeared and we ended up going to see the doctor and getting meds and whatnot. Things are a little calmer today. Murphy’s Law! Life goes on. Hugs to all.

From Website to Cookbook to Blog

...celebrating our culture through generations.

This was the logo on the website I maintained for several years. I closed it down January 1st, of this year. A lot of hard work and a lot of fun went into this site.


Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)
Click on the link above to go directly to the Amazon.com site to get a quick look inside

From this site, Bob and I created the manuscript for our cookbook, Aprovecho, A Mexican-American Border Cookook. This cookbook was done with the intention of having it passed on from generation to generation. As our world is constantly changing, it is getting harder and harder to pass on cultural traditions. This cookbook encompasses both sides of the border with stories and legends that are unique to the Southwestern region of the country. It also contains Dichos (Proverbs), a chile glossary and 250 delicious, simple and easy to follow recipes.

Food and all the aspects of food: preparation, development, the tablesetting, gatherings, family, celebrations, all these things are exciting for me. Now, with my blogs and viewing my foodie friends blogs and sharing in their creations simply elates me. My passion for all things FOOD brings a joy to my writing and cooking. I have friends online with whom I can share that joy. Of course I still need to make a living. This is why I am imposing on your generous nature and decided to spotlight my own cookbook. I hope you won't hold that against me. Oh, and did I mention that the book makes a wonderful Holiday gift for the Foodie in your life?

Now, though, I want to share with you some of the recipes that are contained in this cookbook. Over the last couple of months I've written about some of the legends and traditions that are contained in the book. I've posted some of the recipes as well. But it's now the Holiday season and in keeping with the idea of passing on cultural traditions, most of which are centered around the dining table, I thought posting some of our Holiday recipes would be in order.


The first one is Picadillo Navideño, or Christmas Picadillo.
This delicious dish is made with ground beef, beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, raisins and pecans. It's a savory yet slightly sweet dish traditionally served during the holidays.


This one is called Montezuma Casserole. This dish is made with pork roast and green poblano chile.





This third recipe is my grandmother's (Mi Chita's)Polvorones. These delightful little biscochos are coated in cinnamon sugar and are served at every holiday meal (as well as weddings, birthdays and all fiestas).

I hope I've piqued your interest in checking out the Aprovecho Cookbook. Not only is cooking, developing recipes and writing about them my passion, it is also my career.

Over the weeks to come, I will post more holiday recipes and traditions that encompass my part of the world, the desert Southwest, the Mexican-American Border. Enjoy these recipes. They come from the heart.

Picadillo Navideño

1/2 pound medium beets, chopped
3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, chopped
3 to 4 small potatoes, cubed


1 cup rasins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper

Cook beets in water until tender reserving the liquid. Heat oil in a skillet and saute the meat, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the carrots and potatoes and cook until semi done then add the beets, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and cumin. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add some of the reserved liquid if you see the dish getting too dry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Montezuma's Casserole

1 1/2 pounds pork roast
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 green poblano chiles, roasted pealed and cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 corn tortillas
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 ounces asadero cheese, grated
Lettuce and radishes for garnish (optional)

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the roast on all sides. Add enough water to cover the roast and cook until done. Shred the pork once it is cooked and cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion, tomatoes, chiles and garlic. Add this mixture to the shredded pork with a little water. Fry the tortillas in oil and dip in the beaten eggs. Place these tortillass in the prepared greased baking pan. Add the meat mixture and top with the grated asadero cheese. Bake until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and radish slices if desired.

Mi Chita's Polvorones
(Biscochos)

2 pounds of flour
1 pound of lard
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup warm milk
Cinnamon-sugar mixture for coating

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add lard. Cut lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender (or do it the way my grandmother taught me; with your two clean hands, scoop up flour and lard and gently rub between the palms of your hands). Continue this until flour-lard mixture converts to pea-size pieces. Add warm milk. Combine until well blended. Do not knead dough for too long, as it tends to toughen the pastry - just like with pie pastry. Roll out small sections of the dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Remove top layer of waxed paper and cut dough with cookie cutters dipped in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Allow to cool for 6 to 8 minutes. Coat with cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes approximately 5-6 dozen small polvorones.

This is my grandmother's recipe for polvorones (biscochos). She never wrote it down, but rather taught me (show and tell) how to make them when I was 12 or 13. I in turn have taught my daughter how to make this wonderful recipe. She learned very well.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Until next time, Aprovecho.

Halloween Spread for the Kiddos

What's Halloween without a table spread out with so many good things to eat? Boring! Before sending your little ones (or even your big ones) out to Trick or Treat, make sure they have a good meal to eat. All that wonderful delicious candy on an empty stomach is bound to keep you up all night with disgusting tummy troubles. So make sure they eat well. This way they won't be scarfing down so much candy. A simple spread of Nachos and Spicy Chicken Wings ought to do the trick. It's all finger foods and they won't feel like they have to sit down at a formal table before going out on a night of fun.

Of course, dinner could be a little more involved. How about some Chile Chili? Or an Eyeball Platter of Meatballs and Deviled Eggs? There's also La Llorona Punch and Spicy Popcorn.

Make dinner before the Trick or Treating into a party. It is a night of celebration and a time to have an enjoyable time with your family. Have a great time and PLEASE make sure kids aren't out by themselves. And be sure and check the candy before any is popped into their mouths. Sadly, there are some sickos out there. So let's take care of our kids. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Halloween Nachos

1 dozen tortillas, either corn or flour
1 stick melted butter
Garlic salt
3 cups refried beans
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
Sliced pickled jalapeños (optional)

Using your favorite Halloween cookie cutters, cut shapes out of tortillas. Brush each cut-out with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Spread pieces on cookie sheet. Crisp tortillas pieces in a 350° oven for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Arrange on a platter with refried beans, salsa, shredded cheese, and jalapeños for the kids to make their own great tasting nachos.

Chicken Wings

40 chicken wings or drummets
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter
1 cup hot sauce (like Louisianna)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ garlic powder
Oil for frying wings

Mix flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt. Lightly dust wings with the flour mixture and place on a tray. (Reserve the left-over flour mixture.) Refrigerate tray of wings for 1 hour. Whisk eggs with 1 cup of milk. Remove wings from fridge. Heat oil, or vegetable shortening in a deep pot to 2 to 3 inches deep. Allow to get hot over medium high heat. Dip each wing into the egg mixture and then re-dust with the left-over flour mixture. Fry wings, 6 to 7 at a time, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.Drain fried chicken wings over paper towels.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer for 1 minute. Place drained wings into a large bowl. Drizzle with the hot sauce mixture. Toss lightly until thoroughly covered in sauce.If hot wings aren't what the kids want, do not drizzle with the hot sauce. Instead, mix BBQ sauce with a little honey and brush over drained wings. Delicious!

Chile Chili
(makes 4 generous helpings)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon grated Mexican chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce
sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, minced onion, chopped jalapeños, optional

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain and discard fat. Add tomatoes, chili beans, chile powder, and chocolate. Cook on medium low heat for 1 hour. Serve Chile Chili in bread bowls.

Bread Bowls
1 can refrigerated French bread loaf dough

Preheat oven to 350°
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Remove dough from can but do not unroll. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each dough piece into a round ball with seam on bottom and round and smooth on top. Place dough balls on prepared cookie sheet seam side down. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Cut off about a quarter from the top and press bread down into "bowl" to shape.

Eyeball Appetizer Platter

Deviled Eggs:
6 hard-cooked eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
pinch of salt and pepper
6 pimento stuffed Spanish Olives cut in half
hot sauce

Peel eggs. Cut in half lengthwise. Slip yolks out and into bowl. Mash yolks and stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pastry bag (or zip lock bag with corner cut out). Squeeze yolk into egg halves. Light brush egg whites with hot sauce. Place 1/2 sliced olive in center of "eyeball" with pimento showing on top.

Meatballs:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup crushed crackers
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (1 small) onion, minced
1 large egg
Asadero cheese pieces
Pimento stuffed olives sliced in half

Preheat oven to 400°
In large bowl, mix all ingredients except Asadero and olives. Shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place in ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully make a small slit on to of each meatball and insert Asadero piece. When cheese has melted slightly, top with olive half.

La Llorona Punch
1 package (.22 ounce) Berry Blue Kool Aid
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 (64 ounce) bottle white grape juice, chilled
8 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 cup sugar, or to taste

In a large punch bowl, stir together kool aid, ginger ale, and white grape juice. Taste and stir in sugar as needed. Float ice scream scoops on top right before serving.

Chile/Pepita Popcorn
4 cups freshly popped popcorn
1 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pepitas (roasted and shelled pumpkin seeds)
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine chile powder, cumin, and salt. Toss hot popcorn with melted butter. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Stir in pepitas and raisins.
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Here's another Popcorn recipe you can make. Go to Mexican Chocolate Lore and More to read more about it.

Piñata Time!

Pinatas!

What’s a party or Fiesta without a Piñata? BORING! So what’s a Piñata you ask? Read on.

Piñatas

They're everywhere, at most Hispanic celebrations anywhere. From birthdays to Christmas you will see these colorful, candy and toy filled creations hanging from a rope ready to be broken open to reveal the delightful surprises waiting to be shared by everyone.
The word piñata comes from the Italian word "pignatta", meaning "fragile pot". Originally, piñatas came from China. Marco Polo is credited with introducing the idea to Europe in the 14th century. When the custom reached Spain, the piñata was used on the first Sunday of Lent. The fiesta was called "Dance of the Piñata". A clay pot, an olla, was decorated with colorful papers, ribbons, and tinsel.

The Aztecs used a form of the piñata to celebrate the birthday of the Aztec god of war. Pots were decorated with fancy feathers and filled with "tiny treasures". The pots were then hung and broken with a stick to allow these treasures to fall at the feet of the gods' image as an offering. With the coming of the 16th century, Spanish missionaries used the piñata to attract converts to their ceremonies. The clay pot was called a cantero, which represented Satan. At the time, the most usual design of the piñata was a round center, where the clay pot was hidden by the decorative papers, with seven points, like a star, each with dangling steamers. These points represented the seven deadly sins: greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. Therefore, the piñata reflected catequismo, meaning religious instruction or catechism.

The blindfolded participant represented a force defying evil: Fe, meaning faith. The stick used to break the piñata-symbolized virtue. Once the piñata was broken, the candies and fruits that fell out of the pot were the rewards for keeping their faith. Colorful piñatas can be found in all shapes and sizes. They can be purchased in Mexican markets or specialty stores. There's even a place in El Paso that will ship a piñata to you. But, you can also make one yourself and design it to your hearts content.

How To Make a Piñata

Materials Needed for Star Piñata:
1. 1 balloon - as large as you want your piñata.
2. Old newspapers, torn into strips, and full sheet newspapers to make into cones.
3. Paste mix: 1 cup of flour and ½ cup water (more or less on the water to create the consistency desired).
4. 6 feet of strong string or yarn.5. Various colors of crepe paper streamers to decorate the piñata.6. 1 small bottle of glue.
7. Masking tape.

Instructions:
A. Inflate the balloon and make a knot to keep in the air.
B. Tie the 6 foot string to the knot. You will use the string to hang up the balloon to allow it to dry .
C. Make your flour and water paste.
D. Dip the strips of newspaper into the paste and cover the balloon with two layers.
E. Let this dry for 24 hours.
F. Make 5 newspaper cones. Attached to the piñata with masking tape.
G. If you would like to re-enforce your piñata a little more, paste another layer of newspaper strips all over, including the cones and allow to dry another 24 hours.
H. When piñata is completely dry, pull on the string at top to loosen the balloon. Make a small slit in the balloon to deflate. When all the air is out of the balloon, pull the balloon out. Now you're ready to decorate the piñata.
I. Cut colored crepe paper strips into 10 inch pieces. On one side of the strip (the long side), cut a fringe the length of the strip.
J. Using your bottle of glue, apply a thin line of glue to the crepe paper strip (the side without the fringe), and apply to the piñata. Experiment. Use your imagination.
K. Allow the piñata to dry another 24 hours. Attach a piece of wire in back to dangle piñata on a rope. Also, make an opening in the back carefully with a craft utility knife to fill piñata with candies. Then simply tape the opening closed again.

Remember: A piñata is an instrument of fun. Always keep smaller children far away from the spot where the piñata is being hit. Accidents have been known to occur in the midst of the excitement. A simple piñata can be made from a brown paper grocery bag, or even a box. The point is to have fun making it, with or without your children, and then have fun taking turns trying to break it apart. Enjoy.

For something a little extra crazy, check out Talking Piñatas. They come in hit-activated and motion-activated styles. AND, the most important thing is, they're made in El Paso, my home town!

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Don't forget to check out my Chocolate Blog.
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Mexican word of the day: BUTTER and LETTUCE
I wanna marry my ruca butter parents won't lettuce.