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 3

This is the final installment of the how-to on making tamales, like I need to tell you fine foodies how-to anything. I've learned so much more from you than I could ever show you. So let's just call it sharing. Foodies are good at sharing. (Unless it's CHOCOLATE, then I get a little stingy!)

Masa Preparation (Hot)
1 1/3 cups lard, whipped until fluffy
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups masa flour (corn tortilla flour, not cornmeal)
2 teaspoons salt
2 2/3 cups broth saved after cooking meat

Mix masa, baking powder and salt. Add broth to masa mixture a little at a time to make moist dough. Add masa dough to lard. Beat until it has a spongy texture. Taste-test just a smidgen of the masa for salt content. (A quick test to make sure masa is ready is to drop a small round ball of the masa, about the size of a pea, into a glass of water. If it floats to the top, masa is ready.) This is enough masa for 2 dozen medium to 1 ½ dozen large tamales, or 4 to 5 dozen cocktail (small) tamales. To add a little kick to your tamales, try adding some of the red or green sauce into the masa mixture. This will add flavor if you are looking for something a little spicier.

On the previous post, I suggested a method of preparing “Sweet” Tamales. But check out the link I have listed blow for other exciting recipes.

Tamales Cooking Instructions

Prepare ChileSauce
Prepare Filling
Prepare Husks
Prepare Masa

After patting cornhusks dry, spread 2 tablespoons of masa down center of husk to form a rectangle, 1 inch from the top and 3 inches from the bottom. This should be spread to about 1/8-inch thick*. A cornhusk is usually triangle shape. The top is the straight edge; the bottom is the pointy edge.


Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons filling in center of masa.








To enclose filling, fold husk so that masa edges meet. Wrap plain side of husk around outside of tamale and fold tip. Place seam side down on tray and cover with damp paper towels until all tamales are prepared.

To steam, use a 12 to 14 quart steamer or place a rack inside a 12 to 14 quart pot. Add 1 inch of water to bottom of pot**. Stack tamales loosely in steamer, overlapping edges.

Lay them in a circular fashion leaving an opening (a well) down the center so that steam can circulate and so that you can add more water during the steaming process if needed.




Stack tamales in circular fashion. Stack only enough tamales to leave a 2-inch clearance from the top. Place some spare husks over the prepared tamales and cover the pot with lid. This will keep steam from escaping and will assure adequate circulation.



Heat water to boil; adjust heat to keep water at a steady low boil. Continue to cook, adding boiling water to maintain water level in pot at 1 inch. Cook until masa is firm and does not stick to husk. Open 1 tamal from center of pan to test. Be sure to use tongs to pick up the tamales, they will be extremely hot. Cooking time is approximately 1 hour.

*HINT: If you look closely at the cornhusks, you will see (or feel) that one side of the husk is smoother than the other side, which has ridges. Spread the masa on the smooth side. Tamales will separate much more easily from the husk when cooked.

**HINT: Place a coin at the bottom of pot before stacking tamales. As the water boils, you will hear the coin rattling around. When you stop hearing the coin, it's time to add more boiling water down the "well" or center of the tamal stack to keep the steam going until the tamales are cooked thoroughly.


Rule of Thumb
One pound of masa plus one pound of filling equals one dozen tamales.









If your level of excitement isn’t quite at the boil over stage, check out this one site I found on my quest for the perfect tamal. http://www.recipegoldmine.com/swtamale/swtamale.html

This site is filled with various fillings and preparation methods that will have your head spinning. I love that it stimulates your imagination in creating the perfect TAMAL for your family.

[Notice I didn’t spell tamales with an e at the end for a single one. That’s because it doesn’t have one. In Spanish, for one of these delicious delicacies, it is spelled Tamal. For more than one, it is spelled Tamales. That’s where you add the e. Ah, grammar. I need to be careful, Meryl and Arlene are watching and I don’t want to be kept after school!!!]

Love you guys.

Mexican Word of the day: TEXAS
My ruca always Texas (texts) me when I’m not home wondering where I’m at.

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.

Tamales

Tamales is one of those foods that I couldn't possibly live without. A lot of people have experienced the deliciousness of this regional delicacy, but some have not. Boy are they missing out! Also, some people have made them at home and a lot have not.

Here in El Paso, as in other Southwestern or Hispanic communities, we hold what is called a "Tamalada." This is where you invite family, friends and neighbors to come over and help make dozens and dozens of Tamales, some of which will be going home with them. Though Tamales are not really difficult to make, they are time consuming, especially if you're trying to make them by yourself. They're worth it though.

Because the instructions I have on making Tamales are extensive and way too long for a single post, I'm going to break it down and give you the various steps to making your very own tamales at home over the next few posts. It's traditional in the Southwest and its' popularity has spread far and wide. The cost of purchased tamales last year had risen to $21.00 a dozen. This is for "good" tamales. Sure you can buy them cheaper, but you get what you pay for. You can save yourself money and know exactly what's going into the tamales when you make them at home. So, start your own tradition and have a "Tamalada" starting this year. You'll have fun and make memories along the way.

Today, we'll go through HUSK preparation and making the CHILE SAUCE for your tamales.









Husk Preparation

Cornhusks are usually sold in 8-ounce packages, approximately 50 husks per package. They can be purchased at any supermarket that sells Latin American groceries or go to a Hispanic or Latin market to buy.

Sort through husks, removing extraneous silk strings and any other materials you may find. (Though messy, silks can be removed a lot easier when husks are wet. If you try to remove silks embedded in the husks when they are dry, you will end up tearing the husks.)

Place husks in a large pot or pan and cover with warm water to soften. Weigh the husks down with a heavy object. You'll notice I used a botle of wine. :) Leave husks in water anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight. Separate husks and rinse once or twice more. Remove any remaining silk strings at this time.

Stand the husks in a large pot or basket (I found that a clean dish drainer works the best) and allow the husks to drain. Pat husks dry when actually ready to spread with masa.












Chile Sauce Preparation

Red Chile Purée

9- (about 3 ounces) dried New Mexico or California red chiles, hot or mild or a combination of both
2- cups water, or more, to cover chiles completely with water in pan
1- small onion, chopped
2- cloves garlic, chopped

Roast chiles on a large baking pan for approximately 4 minutes. Let cool slightly and then remove seeds and stems. IMPORTANT! Wear rubber gloves when handling chiles. If you accidentally rub your eyes when handling chiles without gloves, it will really sting. In a 4-quart pan, combine chiles, water, onion, and garlic. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In blender, whirl chile mixture till smooth. Run through sieve (strainer) to discard residue and any unprocessed chile skins. Purée can be refrigerated (covered) up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.

* If you want a hotter tasting chile sauce, try adding 1 or 2 "chile de arbol", stemmed and seeded, to the chile in the water simmering step.

Green Chile Sauce

1/3 cup salad oil
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 can ( 7 ounces ) diced green chiles, or use roasted fresh green chiles
2 cans ( 13 ounces each ) tomatillos, drained
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon cumin

Cook onion in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in green chiles, tomatillos, broth, lime juice, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whirl in blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

The recipe and instructions on Tamale making are found in the "Aprovecho A Mexican American Border Cookbook". For a peak at the book go here:

Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

Next post we'll go over Filling Preparation and discover all the various types of delicious fillings that can used in making tamales. From Savory to Sweet, you'll decide what kind of tamales to serve at your next holiday party or family dinner. Hasta luego mis amigos.

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